\ ale Unh crsity School of ForcstTy

TROPICAL WOODS

~ !'

The publication ()f

CONTENTS

Pnut> Notes on New Cabin et Woods from Brazil 1 By KARL SC,HMIEG, President of SchmieA. '.H un~ate

& Kotzian1 Inc., New York City

Trees of the 'Bayano River Watershed, Panama 4 By H. C. KLUGE, Tropical Forest Engineer, and THE ED)TOR

Some Deposits Resembling Lapadiol 13

Cu1Tcnt Literature 15 Yale University School of Fores try

TROPICAL WOODS

NUMBER 5 !viarch 1, 1926

A technical journal devoted lo thr furtherance of lcnowledgt of tropieal woods andforests and to tbe promotion offorestry in Jhe Tropics.

NOTES ON NEW CABINET WOODS FROl\1 BRAZIL By KARL SCHMIEC 1 The making of fine furniture calls for not only the best of the standard cabinet woods of the trade, but also a great many of the rarer and lesser known kinds. In the whole course of our manufacture we use about one hundred different kinds of wood, emanating from all parts of the world. Brazil's ' ' contributions in the past have been few, notably Rosewood, Tulipwood, Kingwood, and Pernambuco \\'ood, but these have been long and favorably known. More recently other woods from that country have become available to cabinet makers and some of these are very promising. Following is a

1 President of the firm of Schmieg, Hungate & Kotzian, Inc., designers and cabinet makers, New York City. From the time of his apprenticeship (1886- 89), Mr. Schmieg has been continually engaged in the making of line furniture in Germany, Erigland, and America. He is a student of woods and one of America's foremost authbrities on furniture and cabinet making. T ROPICAL WOODS ~ No. 5 brief account of our exper.ience with Oleo Vermelho, Gon~alo No. 5 TROPICAL WOODS :\Ives, Embuia, and Cordia Wood._ 3 Oleo Vermelho (Mvroxylon toluiferum H.B.K.).-OUr first of natural defects, except some worm holes, but we find that quaintance with this wood was about five years ago. It the darker-colored wood is inclined to warp and crack during acmes from southern and eastern Brazil and is in the form of the seasoning process. In working qualities it is much like co . d r round logs of good size and quite soun , except ior a small English or French Walnut, though tending to dull sharp­ cen cer defect. The wood is rather hard, somewhat more so edged tools more quickly than is the case with European than Cuban \lahogany, and is very firm and strong. It is Walnut. The fine dust seems to contain an irritating principle fragrantly scented and it~ color varies from yellow-orange to which affects some of the workmen. The wood finishes well, purplish-rose. It has a rich figure and the texture suggests has a high luster and a beautiful color. There is a considerable Padauk, only the pores are smaller. When finished, Oleo range in the color, some specimens being light yellow, ap­ Vermelho has a marked resemblance to Cuban Mahogany. proaching Satinwood, others exhibiting various shades of The principal hindrance to its use is the fact that it does not brown and suggesting the darkest Circassian Walnut and respond well to staining and consequently is limited in its very dark Brazilian Rosewood. Since there is a similar varia­ application. tion in weight, it may be that the Embuia wood of the trade is the product of two or three closely related species of Gon~alo Alves (Astronium fraxinifolium Schott).-This trees. is a timber of eastern Brazil which is obtainable in long logs, We are using Embuia where we have ordinarily used 12 to '24 inches in diameter, and very straight and sound. American Walnut. It can take the place also of English, The wood is moderately hard and heavy, is fairly dose in French, Italian, and Circassian Walnut, as it can be selected texture, and stands very well. I t is suitable for cutting into for color to match any of them. It is suitable for reproductions veneers and takes a beautiful polish. I t has a rather pleasing of English period furniture (such as Queen Anne and William stripe and bears some resemblance in figure and texture to and Mary), Italian, Spanish, and also Louis XV and Louis Golden Ebony, or Coromandel, only it is of a warmer tone; XVI French furniture where French Walnut and Beech were the stripes are dark, but not real black. Sometimes the wood used. The wood should have a good future in this country, exhibits a mottled figure and then approaches the Brazilian Rosewood. though there is need of experiments to determine the best methods of overcoming certain minor difficulties in manu­ A few years ago we bought some veneers which were said facturing operations. It is ta-day practically the only wood to be of Gon~alo Alves, but the wood is somewha t different obtainable in large planks so much needed for heavy carved from that just described. It is intermediate between that and work, such as table trusses and shaped chair legs. a kind of Zebra-wood we obtain in London, and is much the 2 Cordia Wood (of the type of Cordia Goeldiana Huber).­ best of the three. It makes beautiful furniture but unfor­ This timber js obtained in the form of lumber of good lengths tu~ately we have not been able to procure add i ti~nal supplies Of It. and widths, though we have not .had any very lar~e planks. The wood it intermediate in density between American Wal­ . Embuia (Necta~dra sp.).-We began using this wood about nut and Chestnut and its texture and figure suggest Elm . six years ago. It 1s a product of southern Brazil where the It is very unifor~ in texture and weight, seasons without trees are said to grow in association with the Parana Pine. difficuJ ty, warps less than most woods, and stands ~ well as The lumber is obtainable in very large planks which are free Mexican Mahogany. It takes glue w~U, and ?emg of a 2 Specimens of these three woods have been examined by the editor and all neutral color, is adapted to almost any ~nd of fi.nish. We are belon~ to the genus dstronium, though it is possible that they are of Central having the best results with a wax fimsh, which does not Amcncan or Venezuelan rather than of Brazilian origin. completely close the pores, and do n.ot recom?1e~d a finish which closes the pores. We are making at this time about TROPICAL WOODS 4 No. 5 TROPICAL WOODS tift}' sets of Cordia .W . oo. .d furniture and are agreeably im- s ssed with its poss1b1hnes. licania platypus (Hemsl.) Fritsch. "Sangre." A very common tree of pr~razi l has a large variety. of timbers, but few have proven general distribution, attaining a diameter of 36 inches and a trunk length of 40 feet. The larger trees arc buttressed. as useful as those just ment10ned. Wood hard and heavy, straight-grained, rather coarse-textured, somewhat splintery, fairly easy to work, of dull brownish color. (Kluge 31, 41; Yale 7144, 7240.) TREES OF THE BAYANO RIVER WATERSHED, ANACARDIACEAE PANAMA dnacardi11m Rbinocarpus DC. "Espave." Judging from the Jogs and During the first half of the year 1924, Mr. H . C. Kluge, of lumber, there are three kinds of" espave," namely, red, yellow, and black. Schenectady, N. Y., was engaged in forest work on the water­ These differences could not be noted in the leaves and fruits. The lumber from this locality appears much superior to that from the Atlantic side, shed of the Bayano River, Panama. Incidental to his regular including the Gatun Lake region. duties he collected for the Yale School of F orestry the leaves, Wood of medium density, rather crosS-grained, fairly coarse-textured, fl owe~ fruits and wood specimens of over 50 different trees. tough and strong, color variable from yellowish to reddish brown. {Kluge 5; The d;termin~t i on s of the botanical material were made by Yale 7119.) Dr. Paul C. Standley, Associate Curator, D ivision of Plants, ARALIACEAE Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. In this collection Sciadodendron o:celsum Gris. "Jobo lagarto." This tree attains large size, trunks 24 inches in diameter and 35 feet long being common. Likely to be are 54 species, representing 48 genera and 26 families. Two confused with the other "jobo" (Spondias). new species have been described by Standley, namely, Wood rather light, firm, coarse-textured, fairly straight-grained, tough, Calderonia Klugei and Bumelia panamensis. of harsh feel, pale brown in color. (Kluge 50; Yale 7249.) The following account embodies the substance of Mr. Kluge's notes and correspondence, and to this material the BICNONIACEAE editor has added short descriptions of the appearance and 'J."ecoma pentapbylla Juss. "Roble." This tree is well distributed, growing quality of the woods. There is a range in density from exceed­ on all kinds of sites. The trunks are usually irregular, but may be free of limbs for 40 feet. The Rowers are pink and very showy. ingly light and soft to very hard and heavy. Classified rather Wood of medium density and texture, straight-grained, easy to work, roughJy, out of 52 woods there are J4 as heavy as hickory light brown with penciling of darker parenchyma on tangential surface. (~arya) or heavier; 1 2 medium heavy, or in the class with Ripple marks distinct. A good wood, well known throughout tropical America. birch (Betula) ; 15 medium light, or in the class with yellow {Kluge '1.0j Yale 7133.) poplar (Liriodendron) ; ll ranging from the type of basswood BoMBACACEAE (crilia) to balsa (Ochroma). Bom/Jacopsis Fendleri (Seem.) Pittier. "Cedro espinoso." This well-known . It be noted that mahogany (Swietenia) does not appear tree is distributed very generally over the region, growing very well on the wi~I barren hilltops. The trunk is usually very irregular, with prominent but­ Jn the list. Mr. Kluge says: " I never saw or heard of a single tresses. Ir sheds its leaves during January and the flowers appear a few weeks mahog_~Y. tree growing in the Bayano, although it occurs in later· the fruit pods ripen and fall before the new leaves. The wood dries with the adjoining watersheds. Attempt was made to discover the extre'me slowness; it is much used by the natives because it is resistant to reason for this, but no satisfactory explanation could be insect attacks and decay. found." Wood light and soft, but tenacious, having much the consistency of" ccdro" except that it is tougher; is straight-grained, rather coarse-textured, of red- AMYCDALACEAE brown color. Ripple marks indistinct. (Kluge u; Yale 7125.) . Cavonillesia platanijolia H. B. K. A very large tree, Hirte!la ITia~dr~ Swart2, "Camaroncillo." A small tree about 30 feet high "~ui~." some~l'!1es nine feet in diameter and <)O feet to the first limb. Very abundant, compnsing and 12 mches in diameter, growing along river banks. nearly half the stand. Usually grown on rocky, barren hills. . ~ood hard and heavy, of medium texture, more or Jess crosS-grained, rat er splintery, of pale brown color. (Kluge 48; Yale 7247.) Wood exceedingly light and soft, spongy, coarse-textured, with harsh feel, nearly colorless. (Kluge 30; Yale 7143.) J TROPICAL WOODS 6 No.5 No. 5 TROPICAL WOODS 7 P«bira ui/losula Pittier. "Mam~ de mono." A tree of the river bottoms attaining large size but not considered valuable as a source of lumber. EuPHORBIACEAE Wood light but'ti.rm, coarse-textured, rather cross-grained, with harsh Ettl, ligbr-eolored, becoming yellowish on surface. (Kluge 29; Yale 7142.) 8_apium.1be~ocarpum Schum. & Pitt. "Olivo macho." A tree, rarely over f:!_uarariha pl(rocalyx Hems!. V~rnacula~ name _unknown. Wood hard, 18 mc~cs m.cliameter, found on well-drained bottom lands. The wood splits heavy, of medium texture, cross-grained, white. Considerably denSer than the badly m drying. "guayabillo." (Kluge 53; Yale 7343.) Wood rather light and soft, of medium and uniform tel(ture, straight­ fluararibra asto-olepis Pittier. "Guayabillo." Wood of medium density, grained, pale yellow. (Kluge 7; Yale 7121.) rather hard, nearly white, suggests holly. (Kluge 58; Yale 7348.) FLACOUR.TIACEAE B ORRAGINA CEAE Hasseltiafioribunda H.B. K. Vernacular name unknown. A slender tree of Cordia alba (Jacq.) R. & S. "Sabto." Wood rather light, firm, rather fine­ the river flats, with a trunk diameter of 10 inches. te.'(tured, of consistency of yellow poplar, straight-grained, easy to work, Wood fairly light, rather hard, fine-textured, fairly straight-grained, easy pale brown. (Kluge fl; Yale 7'251.) to work, nearly colorless. (Kluge J'l; Yale 71 44 A.) Cordia alliodora (R. & P. ) R. & S. " Laurel." This tree does not reach the size it does in other regions, the largest found being 12 inches in diameter. LAURACEAE Occurs throughout the hills, rarely near streams. Wood rather light, firm, rather coarse-textured, gray, suggesting soft Neclandra globosa Mez. "Sigua." A tree of the river flats with a trunk elm. Traumatic gum ducts present. (Kluge 3; Yale 7117.) about 30 feet long and 18 inches in dinmeter. ' Wood rather light and soft, rather coarse-textured straight-grained easy to work, pale olive, lustrous. (Kluge 27; Yale 7140.)' ' B uRSERACEAE

Spondias l111ea L. "Jobo." A common tropical tree of all second-growth LEGUMINOSAE stands. In the forest it attains large size, usually about 24 inches in diameter with a clear length of 40 feet. ' . Cassia gran_dis L. "~aiia fistula." T~i~ tree is found in the open along Wood light, bu_t firm and tough, of medium texture, fairly straight-grained, river courses m the neighborhood of existing or abandoned plantations and easy to work, white. A good wood for boxes. (Kluge 34; Yale 7146.) reaches large size, itlthough the trunks are short. The seed pods contain a thick sweet fluid which is edible. Wood rather hard and heavy, coarse-textured, fairly straight-grained, CoMBRETACEAE colorless to pale roseate. (Kluge 46; Yale 7745.) 'Trrmina/ia obooara (Poir.) Eich. " Amarillo real." A well distributed tree Dipbysa carthagenensir J acq. "Macana." A tree of the rocky hills. Of small • • • • I not exactmg m its requirements. The trunks arc rather slender, free of limbs size in this locality, but said to attain considerably larger dimensions in the up to about 40 feet and usually less than 24 inches in diameter. region east of Panama City. Wood moderately hard and heavy, medium-textured olive color. Re­ Wood very hard and heavy, fine-textured, grain interwoven, tough, sembles." ~arillo fruta" (Lafoensia). (Kluge 21; Yale 71j 4.) splintery, takes high polish, brownish yellow. Has line ripple marks. (Kluge 'fo-mina/ia sp. " P alo amarillo" or" carba suell a." This tree appears to be 28; Yale7141.) m~ch the same as the" amarillo real" ('l'ermina/ia obooata) bur the natives Enterolobium cydocarpum (Jacq.) Gris. "Coratu." Widely, but usually claim that the fruit is different. ' sparsely, distributed, occasionally forming heavy stands in favored localities. The wood agrees in color and general properties with "amariUo real " It attains very large dimensions, and trunks 30 feet long and 12 feet in di­ but there are some anatomical differences, particularly in the amount a~d ameter are not uncommon. The natives use the trunks to make dug-out arrangement of the parenchyma. (Kluge 9; Yale 7 iz3.) sailboats, some of which have a capacity of nine tons. Wood light and soft, of the consistency of "cedro," coarse-textured, very ELJEOCAR.PACEAE easy to work, lustrous brown. (Kluge 35; Yale 7147.) Erytbrina glauca Willd. "Palo hobo" or "palo santo." This short-bodied Munlingia calab11ra L · " P ac1· to. " A tree o f medi· um size· usually found tree attains a diameter of about 30 inches and attains its best growth on low alo?g ~e lower .water courses. It is planted by the natives for its fruit, overflow land and in swamps without outlet. v.h1ch IS cherry-like and very sweet. Wood very light and soft, fibrous, coarse-textured, harsh feel, straw-colored. :ood light, soft, fibrous, tenacious, straight-grained medium-texrured Ripple marks present. (Kluge 10; Yale 7124.) wi a soft feel, dull brown. Ripple marks indistinct. (Kl'uge 17; Yale 7130.} Erytbrina rulwinerTJa H. B. K. "Pernilla de casa." This small bushy tree 8 TROPICAL WOODS No. 5 No. 5 TROPICAL WOODS 9 furnishes materinl for fence posts in wet places, since the posts take root and grow. h LYTHRACEAE The wood is light but fairly firm, very coarse-textured, as a harsh feel, and is straw color. (Kluge 13; Yale 7127.) . Lafoensia punieifolia DC. "Amarillo fruta." This tree is well distributed Inga punt/a/a Willd. "oak. (Kluge 8; Yale 712'J..) foothills a~d even on h11lt~ps. The soil in the region of its growth has a clay ~ase ~nd .~n manr cases IS almost pure clay. The species differs from the PALMACEAE pcmilla of th~ mtenor of Colombia in that the seeds are entirely red, while tho:.e of Colombia are red with black spots. Astrocaryum sp. "Palma negra" or black palm. A slender palm with large ta~Vood modera~ely ~ard and heavy, rather coarse-textured, straight-grained, pinnate leaves and clusters of rather small, pear-shaped, orange-colored cg a good polish, 1s yellow-brown in color. (Kluge 14; Yale 7 1

~uassia amara L. "Guavico." A shrubby cree growing near streams above R u BIACEAE the influence of the tides. A decoction of the wood is used by the natives as a febrifuge. Antirrbr.ea tricbantba (Gris.) Hemsl. " Candela." A rather rare tree of the Wood rather hard and heavy, fine-textured, exceedingly bitter, yellow. river valleys, with a cruok rarely over 25 feet long and 12 inches in diameter. (Kluge 36; Yale 7148.) ~ood rather light, firm, of the consistency of tupelo, fairly sttaight­ grained, yellow-brown. (Kluge 39; Yale 7238.) STE RCU LIACEAE . Ca/Jeronill Klugei StandJ. " Palo colorado." A tree of medium size, usually with cr~ked trunk, found on the lower lands subject to inundation. The Surc11/ia apetala (Jacq.) Karst. "Panama." Large tree, three to four feet chan_ge m color of the wood suggests the "chachaguante" of Campeche, in diameter usually buttressed up to about 12 feet, clear length about 32 feet, MeXJco. free from defects. Bark smooth and whitish, suggesting beech. Crown well Wood har~ and hea':'Y, fine-textured, straight-grained, somewhat splintery. proportioned, umbrella-like. Tree well distributed in lowlands and hills, but Color yellowish changing to decidedly pink. This wood is denser and of liner not on bnrren ridges. texture than that of Cald"onia saloadom isis Stand!. (Kluge 19; Yale 7132.) Wood very light, soft but tenacious, coarse-textured, nearly colorless. C~lycO'f'byllu m eandidissimum (Yahl) DC. "Madroiia." T his tree reaches (Kluge t; Yale 7u6.) a height o! 40 to 50 feet and has a very irregular and usually very crooked trunk. It is very ~bundant. in the region, sometimes forming almost pure TILlACEAE s:-uids. T~e wood 1s used chiefly for kindling and charcoal, and is said to be highly resistant to marine borers. Apeiba 'libourbou Aubl. "Cortez." Wood light, firm, tough, rather fine. textured, nearly white. Has conspicuous concentric zones or arcs of cottony . Wood ~~ a~d hea~y, fine-textured, fairly straight-grained, pale brown tissue. Ripple m:irks present. (Kluge 57; Yale 7347.) in color, s11~1lar ~n ~ons1 s tency to birch. (Kluge 15; Yale 7128.) L11ehca Seemannii Tr. & Pl. "Guacimo." In the good soil of the river bot­ Posoquma latifolta (Lam.) R. & S. " Fruta de mono." A slender, pole-like toms this tree attains a diameter of r8 inches and a trunk length of about trc.e of common occurrence. The fruit is eaten by birds and wild animals. JO feet. The fru it is attractive to birds. Wood( hard and heavy, fine-textured, of fairly straight grain, ne:irly color­ 1eis. Kluge 5I; Yale 7250.) Wood light and soft, of medium texture, straight-grained, easy to work, pale brown, without luster. Ripple marks present. (Kluge 24; Yale 7137.) TROPICAL WOODS No.5 J1 No. 5 TROPICAL WOODS IJ CHECK LIST OF THE COMMON NAMES Pernilla de! monte ? Leguminosae Qui po CaoaniUuia platanijolia H. B. K. Bombacaceac Alfaje 'friehilia tubereulata (Tr. & Pl.) C. DC. Meliaceae Roble 'Tecoma pen1apbylla Juss. Bignoniaceae Algocloncillo HibiJcus tiliauus L. Malvaceae Sabto Cordia a/Qa (J acq.) R. & S. Borraginaceae Amarillo fruta LajomJia punicifolia DC. Lythraccac Sangre Licania platypus (Hems!.) Fritsch. Amygdalaceae Amarillo reaJ 'fer111inalia obooata (Poir.) Eich. Combretaccae Sigua Neciandra globosa Mez Lauraceae Black palm Astrocaryum sp. PaJmaceae Ubero 1Coccoloba caracasana Meisn. Polygonaceae Caimi to Cbrysopby/lum Cainito L. Sapotaccac Uvito lcacorea reooluta (H. B. K.) Stancil. Myrsinnceac Camaroncillo Hirte/la triandra Swartz AmygdaJaccac Caiia fistula CaJsia grandis L. Leguminosae Candela Antirrbuia tricbantba (Gris.) Hcmsl. Rubiaccac SOME DEPOSITS RESEMBLING LAPACHOL Carba suella Burseraceae closely allied substance." Jobo lagarto Sciadodendron exce/Jum Gris. Araliaceae Dr. Hooker's report on specimens of lntsia (Afzelia) La~l Cordia alliodora (R. & P.) R. & S. Borragi naceae is as follows: "The yellow substance is not lapachol. As Limoncillo Bumelia panamensis Standl. Sapotaceae seen under the microscope it lacks the brilliancy and bright Macana Dipbysa cartbagenensis J acq. Leguminosae yellow color of lapachol and seems in places to be more com­ Madroiia Calycopbyl/11m candidissimum (Vahl) DC. R ubiaceae pact and wax-like, although probably crystalline. Tested Malvecino umcbocarpus lucidus Pittier Leguminosae as above, the deposits in lntsia amboinensis Thouars. (Yale Mame de mono Pacbira villoJUla Pittier Bombacaceae No. 8196) give a solution which passes from a fine yellow Naranjillo Swartiia dariennisis Pittier Leguminosae to a beautiful blue and then to a brown. The wood contains Nispcro Mimusops darienensis Pittier Sapotaceae Olivo macho in addition a white substance which gives no characteristic Sapium tbelocarpum Schum. & Pitt. Euphorbiaceae color reaction with NaOH. Paci to Muntingia ca/abura L. Elreocarpaceae Palma ncgra .l/strocaryum sp. P almaceae "The yellowish substance in these specimens of lntsia Palo amarillo 9'ffm inalia sp. Combretaceac appears to be identical with that which I found in the Indian Palo hobo Erytbrina glauca Willd. Leguminosae Palo colorado wood believed to be Panjanelia multijuga Kurz (Bignonia­ Caldtro11ia Klugei Stancil. R ubiaceae ceae), and the similarity seems to me, as a layman, to extend Palo santo Erytbrina glauca Willd. Leguminosae Panama Sterculia apttala (Jacq.) Karst. Stcrculiaceae so markedly to the structure of the wood that I should Pemilla de casa Erytbrina rubrineroa H. B. K. Leguminosae think it desirable to verify the original identification. The TROPICAL WOODS No. 5 TROPICAL WOODS 14 No. 5 color changes of the substance UPo? the application I per cent NaOH are highly characteristic, passing from yellow ClJRREVI' LITERATURE to brown to violet, and then to a rich yellow-brown." The present writer has examined the Indian wood referred to Cross-ties of foreign woods. By R. S. BELCHER, S. B. F1sRER, JoHx FOLEY, H. C. HAYES, and A. F. :\IA1scHAIDER. 3 bo,·e and confirms Dr. H ooker's belief that it is lntsia and not P~njanelia . Corresponding changes should be made in Proc. dmerican Rai/wa)' Engineering Association, Yol. the references to this wood in 'fropical W oods I: 8. 26, 1925, pp. ro33- 1oi8. "The Javanese specimen (Yale No. 8193) of' radja boenga, This report is compiled from the responses to two ques­ (Adenantbera lamarindifolia Roxb.) seems to contain a small tionnaires, one to railroads of the United States using ties quantity of a yellowish substance like that in Intsia and, in of foreign woods and referring to their experience with these mixture with it, a larger quantity of an undoubtedly closely woods, the other dealing with the matter of supply and allied substance scarcely to be distinguished from it in availability of foreign woods. appearance. The most interesting part of the report is that headed "The examination of all of the woods was made by de­ "American tests of foreign woods as ties." While the results taching minute quantities of the substances with a needle are admittedly inconclusive, the experience on the whole point and following the color changes under the microscope." has not been satisfactory. The two principal defects of the Dr. Hooker has confirmed the writer's fin d ing of lapachol woods used have been a tendency to split to pieces and lack in specimens of the two Madagascar woods, "zahana" and of resistance to decay. The former is attributed largelyto "sofintsoy," as reported in 'l'ropical W oods I : 8. The identities climatic conditions and ~lr. A. W. Buel is quoted as saring: of these two woods are still in doubt, althoug h unquestionably "It is important to bear in mind that some species which ther belong to the Bignoniaceae. give fair service in their native climate mar fail in northern regions, due to their tendency to develop radial season­ checks, extending from face to center of heart." Bibliography of Woods That ties of woods noted for their resistance to decav in There are still available for distribution a limited number tropical countries should rot out in four or five years \\:hen of copies of Supplement 'Jo. I . to Bibliography of the woods placed in track in a northern latitude does not seem logical. of.the world (~."hardwoods are to be a potent factor in the as favorable as the factors of climate. But the soil on the hill markets of the future. The trade must accept this phase of and mountain slopes, comprising practically all of the forest the situation, and it will be wise for them to cooperate at land of the entire island, has, as a result of deforestation, this time in all measures which will protect their industries seriously deteriorated under prolonged exposure to the action and enable them to profi t through their use, rather than wage of constant warm weather and abundant rainfall. In addition a losing fight to retard their introduction." to abnormal conditions of soil, forest plantations have to contend with "maleza," a rank growth of low vegetation that is very difficult and expensive to control. There is The status of forestry in Porto Rico. W. D. Du-RLAND. By urgent need for l1igh-grade experimental work which will Journal of Forestry 23 : II : 913~18, Nov. i925. serve as a practical object lesson for the private owner. The need of forestry is fully recognized in Porto Rico but according to the author, very little is actually being'don~ toward the practical solution of the problem. British Honduras. Annual report of the Forest Trust for the "Porto Rico was at one time densely wooded over its entire year ended 31st March, i925. By J. N. OLIPHANT. Belize, :u-ea. _Due .to year~ of cutting, burning, and clearing in con­ 1925. Pp. 25; 8 x 13. JtmctJon w1th a shifting method of agriculture, this forested "By an ordinance dated 15th August, 1923, responsibility area has been reduced on thousands of acres to barren land­ for the development and maintenance of Crown forests of denude? and e~posed slo~es . The problem confronting forestry the Colony and for administration of the funds provided for on the !sland 1s unquesttonably one of artificial regeneration that purpose was vested in a Forest Trust, consisting of two to obtam.wood production and a protective cover." official and two non-official members under the chairmanship Collectivel), the forest land area under government owner­ of the Governor." ship or c?ntrol forms but 2 . 5 per cent of the total land area of The staff of the forestry department consists of a con­ Por~o Rico and the amount of this which is capable of pro­ servator, two assistant conservators, and clerical assistants ducing economic forests is equal to only one per cent of the at headquarters; and two forest rangers, one captain in total area of the island. · charge of impro\•ements, one temporary inspector of Crown "Ninety-four _and. three-tenths per cent of the total land licenses, and three forest guards in the field. Shortage in ~rea of Po~to Rico 1s held by private owners. Consequently staff "is the chief limiting factor in the programme of forest it can readily be unders.tood that it is through this medium development contemplated by the Trust." ~hat forestry must work 1f any material progress is to be made In the Silk Grass Reserve 3,551 trees and 16,591 seedlings 10 forest re&eneration ... . T he problem, because of the have been improved by cleanings and liberation cuttings lac~ of es~a?lish~d prec~d~nts in forest regeneration in tropical since I 922. Over J 9,000 individual mahogany trees of various regions s1m1l~r m cond1t1ons to Porto R ico, is intricate and ages have been located in this reserve. The cost of the im­ complex, but It can be solved. T he criticism hinges around the provement work, including labor and captain's wages, but TROPICAL WOODS No. S 20 No. 5 TROPICAL WOODS 21 not overhead, has averaged 20~ cents per tree. "There A study of ancient Andean social institutions. By PHILIP was a certain amount of damage to mahogany seedlings by AINSWORTH MEANS. '!'rans. Conn. Acad. Aris and Sciences isolation and subsequent insect attack, and it has been found necessary to modify the technique in the direction of girdling 27: 407-469, Sept. 1925. instead of felling the smaller stems of the worthless species In the course of this highly interesting account of the in order to secure more gradual ingress of light, and of social institutions of the Incas and their predecessors there reducing the radius cleaned around individual seedlings. is a brief description, accompanied by numerous references, Most of the damaged seedlings have since recovered and of the dug-out canoes and the great balsa rafts which were are putting on satisfactory height-growth." in use at the time of the arrival of the Spaniards in 1530. " The Tidewater Company's pine mill at All Pines is now "The American Indians as a whole were curiously deficient in full working, and local lumber is being placed on the in skill and enterprise as navigators. The ancient Peruvians market in quantity. The export returns for February, 1925, were no exception to the general rule. They had, however, show a consignment of 29,156 ft. of this lumber to Spanish several sorts of craft, none of which was worthy of a seaman's Honduras. The establishment of this industry marks a admiration. They were as follows: definite turning point in the economic development of the "1. The dug-0ut, called canoa in the Antilles and piragua Colony, as involving the substitution of home-grown for in what is now Colombia. The dug-outs of the people on the imported produce in respect to an important item of con­ coast of Peru were commonly made of the light wood of the sumption." ceyba tree. These craft were swift, whether under sails of " Though the Crown lands constitu te about half of the cotton or propelled by paddles, but they were extremely total area of the Colony, it has been calculated that they do capsizable. The smallest dug-outs could hold only two pas­ not contribute more than one-sixth of the total mahogany sengers; but some of them were fifty or sixty feet long and output. . ·. . T he local ~hide industry is on the decline, could hold thirty or more people. mamly owmg to destructi ve methods of tapping encouraged "2. The totora raft. Vessels of this type were formed of bl.lack of c?ntrol. It will be some time before proper super­ bundles of a reed called totora which grows plentifully in ~1~1on. of chicle cutting can be organized, and in any case Peru.... It is hk:ly th~t .the intensive growi ng of sapodilla for chicle "3. Pontoon-rafts of two types: one in which inflated seal production will m the near fu ture supersede the wild chicle skins were held together, catamaran-fashion, by a wooden mdustry, as has been the case with ru bber." platform; the other a platform resting on a number of empty 1:he exports of domestic produce from British Honduras calabashes held together by a network of cords. . . . durmg 19_24 show the following proportions : Forest, 82 per "4. The great raft or balsa. !his, primitive t~ough it was, cent; ~1cu ltural, 16 per cent; marine, 2 per cent. The must be hailed as the chef d \fter recounting several reports of sea voyages the author for considerable distances from their junctions with the master says:" We may safely conclude, therefore, that balsas capable stream." While in respect to climate: "The Amazon Valley of accommodating as many as fifty persons were used for long does not deserve the maligned reputation it has borne as sea voyages and like~ise ~o r traclihg excursions. They seem having an especially hot, humid, and unhealthful climate, to ha\·e reached their highest development in the coast rendering it almost uninhabitable. It has, on the contrary, country around the mouth of the Guayas River, and to this for an equatorial region, a relatively pleasant climate and one day one may see craft of this kind slowly making their way of the least deadly for the colonist or traveler of any of the up stream or down. They serve as a useful supplement to tropical countries." the steam-driven traffic on that stream." "The Amazon forests, like those of other tropical regions, !he. Peruvian balsa, as determined by J. Francis Mac­ can be divided as to height into three tiers or stories-a bride, 1s Ocbroma boliviana Rowlee. (See his South American bottom story composed of small trees, which furnishes the plants, Field l\Iuseum of Natural History (Chicago), Pub. largest number of species and individuals; a middle story; and a top story, comp_osed of only those that are capable, 231, Bot. Ser. 4: 4 : 91, June 29, r925.) when mature, of reachmg great height.... Though there are many kinds of trees in Amazonia, only a small proportion Rubber production in the Amazon Valley. By vVILLIAM L. become large enough to furnish saw timber. From the stand­ ScHuRz, 0. D. HARGIS, C. F. :MARBUT, and C. B. MANI­ point of lumbering this is important, for it means that for FOLD. 1:rade Promotion Series No. 23, Bu. Foreign and logging operations on a commercial scale the forests are less Domesuc Commerce, Wa~hi~gton, 1925. Pp. 369; 5~ x 9; complex than a purely botanical census shows .... Until 45 half-tones and maps; bibliography. Price 65c. reliable quantitative studies have been made, little can be stated about the relative percentages of the different species . "Thi~ is the fourth of a series of publications made under that occur in the upper stories of the forests of any particular mstr:u~~1~11s from Con~ress 'to investigate and report on the region. Rough cruises on the forests of French, Dutch, and poss1b1l~t~es _of developing the rubber-plantation industry in British Guiana show that over considerable areas and under t~e Ph1lippme Islands and Latin America.' This report similar topographic conditions from one to eight or ten species discuss~ the present status of the wild-ru bber industry in form more than 50 per cent of the trees of the upper stor}'· As t~e \'anous polit~cal units of the Amazon Valley and deals Guiana forests are similar in character to those of the Amazon, with those phrs1cal, economic, and poli tical factors that like results might be expected were such cruises made." ~~~~Id be cons1der~d. ~r the prospec ~ve investor in order The second part of the report deals individually with the J dge of the poss1~1h t 1es of establtshmg ru bber plantations nine sections into which the whole region, described in the ther~. · · · The territory with which this report deals ap­ first part, was divided. These sections are as follows: (1) rox1mates 2 ,250,000 square miles in extent or about three- Islands and Para; (2) Lower Amazon, South; (3) Lower 1~~rths the _area of ~he United States excl~s i ve of Alaska. Amazon, North; (4) Upper Amazon, North; (5) l\ladeira; I~ popul~t1on of this region is estim~ted at 1_, 500,000." (6) Upper Amazon, South; (7) Acre; (8) Bolivia; (9) Peru, addition to the great wealth of information of primary Ecuador, and Colombia. There is for each a map showing the :'a1 ue to the rubber industry there is much in this report of river system and the location of the towns and cities. There },nterest to persons concerned with the development of the are notes on the vegetation, lists of the tree species with torest resou_rces ,?f the vast. region of the Amazon. As regards vernacular and scientific names, and in some cases notes on ransportauon: Ocean-going vessels can ascend the Amazon the woods. ..

TROPICAL WOODS No. 5 No. 5 TROPICAL WOODS The lumber industry is still in its infancy in Amazonia, the It is to be regretted that the exploring party did not de­ scenes of greatest activity being at the two extremes of the termine the identity of this s0-called mahogany substitute, region. "A considerable lumbering industry is being developed since specimens of the wood indicate that it undoubtedly is a on the basis of the forest resources of this [Island and Para] species of Swietenia. (See 'l'ropical Woods 1: 4.) area, particularly in the region of the furos and along the main river channels to the west of Marajo. However, no effort is made to utilize more than the trees found near the Lumber industry of the Philippine Islands, with special ref­ edges of the watercourses. Part of this business is devoted to erence to export species. By JoHN A. FowLER. Trade Pro­ the shipping of logs, which are exported to Europe (generally motion Series No. 24, U.S. Bu. For. and Dom. Commerce, to E ngland, Germany, or Italy), to southern Brazil, or to the Washington, 1925. Pp. 41; 6 x 9; I map; 4 full-page half­ River Plate. We also saw one lot of logs destined to be used as tones. Price roe. cigar-box material in the United States. Ocean steamers This publication is issued for the purpose of helping Ameri­ taking on cargoes of logs are now a familiar sight in the delta. can and other foreign users of Philippine woods to obtain a "A local lumbering business is also being built up and has better understanding of the supply, export possibilities, already become one of the two principal economic supports properties, and uses of these woods and of others that might of the delta area, the other being the collection of oilseeds. be more largely used. The major divisions of the report are Moreover, the industry is capable of great expansion provided under three headings, namely, General conditions governing the timber back from the edge of the streams can be worked. lumber development; Character and uses of Philippine woods; In addition to the sawmills in the City of Para and at several Production, consumption, export, and import. There is also other points, th~re is~ mill at_Abaete that appears to be doing an appendix covering the lumber grading rules employed by an excellent business m workmg the light and medium woods the Philippine Bureau of Forestry. of the locality, especially for the manufacture of box shooks. We ~aw one consignmen_t of shooks ready for shipment to Annual report of the Director of Forestry of the Philippine Mexico to be usehardwood." States and foreign countries has increased to such an extent TROPICAL WOODS No. s No. 5 TROPICAL WOODS '1.7 that the personnel of the Bureau trained in. such work has been able to keep up wi th it onJ y by neglecting other work. this will be cheaper and the result more satisfactory than for the forest officers to collect botanical and wood specimens." This can be readily seen from the data of Jumber exported for the last three years, i.e., in 19'2_2, 18,300,000 board feet; The last of the 17 recommendations is "that funds be provided for the establishment of a forest products laboratory in t923, 36,950,000 board feet; and in 1924, 50,760,000 board for the Division of Investigation and for at least six experi­ feet. The classification of public lands also has become very ment stations in various parts of the Islands." pressing without a sufficient increase in personnel to hasten the consummation of this work." T he increase in lumber exports is largely attributable to Geographical distribution of Coniferae in the Far East. organized effort on the part of the producers to build up their By RYozo KANEHIRA, Taihoku, Formosa, 1925, pp. 6. m arkets. The largest increase was in shipments to J apan and Under the tribes of the Taxaceae and Pinaceae are listed was only in part due to the rebuilding needs following the the names of the genera, and the number and general geo­ earthquake and fire. At the expense of the P hilippine Lumber­ graphical distribution of the species. This is followed by a men's Association a member of the Bureau was detailed for a table and some interesting notes. three months' study of the market requirements and wood­ Twenty-six genera are represented in the Far East, of using industries of Japan. " H e visi ted the large companies which four, namely, Kcteleeria, Teak: Its habitat, exploitation, and marketing. By Lieut. boring insects. During the year local Philippine markets WENDELL P. RooP. Technical Bulletin No. I-25, Navy absorbed a total of over 141,ooo ooo board feet of !urn ber and D ep t. Bu. of Construction and Repair, Washington, 1925. timber, includmg nearly 5,000:000 board feet of imported Pp. 37; 6 x 9; 7 half-tones, 5 drawings. wood. This report is based ~pon personal investigatio~s '!f The h~rbarium of ~~e Bureau contains 3,025 specimens, Lieutenant Roop while stationed at Rangoon. The subject 1s representing 117 fam1!1es, 559 genera, and 1,295 species. treated unde:r five chapter headings as follows: I. Properties Accordmg to D r. Merrill, formerly of the Bu reau of Science and uses; II. Teak production in the Burma forests; III. "the totaI number of merchantable species ... is nearly' The teak industry at Rangoon; IV. General comment on 3,000. · · . · The Bureau of Forestry needs t he services of a grading rules for teak lumber; Y_. 1:he fu~re ~f teak. . dendrologist to do systematic collecting, and it is believed that Owing to the importance of this ttmber m ship construction ::8 TROPICAL WOODS No. s No. 5 TROPICAL WOODS d the difficulties involved in supplying the needs of the have brought the price down to about $56 per r,ooo feet ~nited States Navy, the author recommends ~he establish- board measure. in the Philippines of a naval reservation for teak men t . . d " "This remaining material is all in sho~t lengths, n~t over plan tations. The in itial cost 1s estimate at *'I 5 per acre 12 feet, and small sizes not exceeding 8 inches by 8 inches. (r ,ooo trees). An 80-year rota tio~ is suggested. "Lea~ing out It is more free than the run of Rangoon teak from defects of account the proceeds of thinnmg [expected to begin after incident to growth, probably because the trees were not very ro to r 5 years], a final yield of 8,ooo feet board measure per old when cutt. But it has more than the run of Rangoon teak acre would be sufficient to produce returns of 5 per cent, of defects of seasoning and sawing. Even aside fr?m t~e stumpage bei.ng taken at. th~ rates current .in Buri:ia. It is matter of length, there is little material in 0e lot ~h1 c h will believed possible to obtain yields of three times th1s figure. conform to the Navy specification for decking without ex­ Precedent for such an undertaking may be found in the naval cessive waste in recutting. These results are not such as to live oak timber reservation of 3,338 acres near Berwick, La., encourage the continued marketing of J olo teak. unde.r pres~nt which was acquired by Executive order, dated February 29, conditions but they do indicate that the technical d1fficult1es 1820." are of the ~art that can certainly be overcome." An account is given of the teak plantations now existent in the P hilippines, some of them of recent establishment. "The oldest teak plantation in the P hilippine I slands and Summary of results of treated and untreated experimen~ the only one which has ever yielded a commercial product sleepers laid in the various railway systems of India, is that of Jolo. T his island, in the extreme southern part of brought up to date. By J. H. WARR. Indian Forest Bui. the Archipelago, has an area of about 400 square miles, and, No. 59 (Economy series), Calcutta, 1924. Pp. 34; 7 x 10; though teak is scattered over a large part of this, it is found 4 charts. Price 3s. 3d. chiefly in two small areas. The amount of commercial sawn "The results of experiments, commenced in 19 10, to ascer­ timber obtainable is estimated at r,000,000 feet board tain the durability of certain Indian timbers after tr.eatme~t measure. I t is not indigenous, but it is not known who planted when used as railway sleepers, have been recorded m detail it. It has been there a long time, perh aps for a thousand years, in the Indian Forest R ecords, Volume VI, Part IV of 1918, and and the conditions prevailing at present combine the dis­ Volume IX, Part I of 1922, and in Technic.al Paeer No. 231 advantages of plantations and of wild growth with the of 1922 issued by the Railway Board oflnd1a. This summary advantages of neither. The stand is very open and has been of resui'ts is based on the inspection reports, 1923- 24, whereas damaged by fire. The trees appear to have had no care what­ those recorded in the above mentioned report~ are o~ 192o-21. ever and never to have been allowed to attain a mature In future it is proposed only to issue summaries until. the l~t growth, Loc:il. use in small sizes has gone on for a long time, batch of sleepers have failed, when a final report will be is- as 0e qualtt1es of the wood are fuUy appreciated by the sued." .. naaves and branches are chopped off and trees mutilated in "From the results obtained it will ?~seen that powelhsmg a most wasteful w.ay. Not until recently was an a ttempt made and introducing fairly large q~antlt1es o.f creoso~e or a to place any of tt on the market. In r919 a considerable mixture of green oil or ·Aven.ar1us carbohneum 011 (both amount was cut,. and of this in 1921 about 200,000 feet board creosotes) and earth oil have given equally good results. To measure were sh1pped to f\1anila. treat sleepers with chloride of zinc, followed .by a si:iall coat­ "The der:iand for this shipment, however, never came up ing of creosote, or to treat with a small quantity of high grade to expe~tat1ons., and after two years somewhat more than oil is economically unsound, though cheaper than a full-cell half of it remains unsold, even though repeated reductions process." 30 TROPICAL WOODS No. 5 No. 5 TROPICAL WOODS 31 Note on "ainee," Artocarpus hirsuta Lamk. By C. CLA UDE WILSON. Indian Forest Bui. No. 6o (Economy timber for railway sleepers, based upon the assumption that to ensure durability the timber requires treatment. The series), Calcutta, 1925. Pp. 7; 7 x 9X'; I map; I pl.; I diagram; wood sample for frontispiece. Price 9d. possible sleeper timbers are first grouped with reference to available supply. Schemes of operation are outlined for de­ One of a series of publications dealing with individual In­ termining (1) the mechanical strength, (2) seasoning proper­ dian woods. Information is given as to distribution, regenera­ ties, and (3) treatability of these timbers, and (4) for studying tion and growth, properties, uses, and methods of extraction the anatomy of the woods with reference (a) to means of of the timber. The list of the other woods described in this identification and (h) to problems of impregnation. series is as follows: Andaman marble-wood or zebra wood (Diospyros Kunii Hiern.). Burmese "Jeza" wood (Lagerstroemia Jomenlosa Presl.). Familiar flowering trees in India. By IDA CoLTHURST. Cal­ "Carallia" wood (Carallia integerrima DC.). cutta and Simla, 1924. Pp. 161; 5!/.4 x 7)4; 56 half-tones "Perwun" or "trincomali" wood (Berrya /lmmonilla Roxb.). and 5 colored plates; index. Burmese "in•· wood (Dipterocarpus tulmwlatus Roxb.). Busma "padouk" (Pterocarpus macrocarpus Kurz.). "This book is by no means an exhaustive treatise on our "Gumhar" (Gnulina arbor(a Roxb.). Indian flowering trees, but it purposes to furnish popular "Bija sal" or "vengai" (Pterocarpus Marsupium Roxb.). descriptions and illustrations of the most familiiti: ones, so "Sain" or "saj" (i ewm. (Cerambyc1dae) a large heartwood borer be faced by the new administration." of"sal" (Sborea robusta Gaertn. f.), ~ne of the most important trees of India. It is estimated that the total annual outturn oft.his timber from all sources in India is about 12 million New Zealand State Forest Service. By L. l\IAcl.sTosH ELus. cubic feet or 245,'X>O tons, of which Government forests Wellington, 1925. Pp. 35; 8~ x 13; illustrated. pr?

The "saligna" gum (Eucaly ptus saligna). Notes on its physical qualities, conversion, and uses. By M. H. Scorr. South Lfjrican 'Journal of Industries 7: 8: 504-6, Aug. 1924.

The blue gum(Eucalyptus globulus). Notes on its physical qualities, conversion, and uses. By M. H. Scorr. South dfrican 'Journal of I ndustries 7: 9 : 575-8, Sept. 1924. Schoo1 of Forestry

TROPICAL WOODS

NUMBER 6 J O:\E 1, 1926

CONTENTS The free distribution of Mahogany in the Upper Amazon 1 this joumal is made possible Mucilage Cells and Oil Cells in the Woods of the by a gift to Yale University from the Lauraceae 3 UNITED FRUIT COMPANY By H. H. JANSSONIUS Some Fundamental Considerations of Specific Gravity 5 By S. J. RECORD and H. D. TIEMANN Additional Information on "Pau Hoi'' 11 By A. HENRY A Rain-tree in Bolivia 12 By H . H. RUSBY The ••Bois Pele'' of Haiti 13 By W. R. BARBOUR Notes on Cape Boxwood 14 By 0. B. MILLER Germination of a New Aspidosperma 14 By H . H. RUSBY Imports of Mahogany Logs 15 Requirements for Wood-pulp Mill 16 B;' W. RAITH Some Trade Names of Woods 17 Current Literature 19 Yale University School of Fores try

TROPICAL WOODS

Nm.rnER 6 J une 1, 1926

A ttclmical journal deooud 10 1be f11r1beranu of lcnowkdge of tropical woods and forests and to lbt promotion of foreJlr)' in 1be '1ropfrs. Tbt editor of this publii:atio11and1be u1riter of nny articles therein, the autb()f­ ship of u1bich is mt otberv1ist indil 1ud, ts SAMt £1. J. RECORD, Professor of Forest Products in rale University. Addreu all commu111ca1io11S 10 Jbt tditor, w5 Pros put Strut, Neu· Haum, ComuClicUJ, U. S. A. Priu :5 ants ptr copy

~1AHOGASY I" THE UPPER A:\IAZON The statement was made in Tropical Woods I: 4 that true mahogany was being imported into the Cnited States from the Peruvian Amazon and that effort was being made to secure botanical specimens in order that the systematists might confirm the editor's findings, which were based upon a study of the wood. Leaf specimens collected personally by Mr. Georges H. Barrel, President of the Aguna l\1ahogany and Timber Com­ pany, 88 Broad Street, Boston, l\lass., from a tree "on the left bank of the Rio Itaya, some 50 miles from its confluence with the Rio Amazonas," have recently been received by the editor and forwarded for identification to Dr. S. F. Blake, U. S. Bureau of Plant Industry, Washington, who reports as follows: "The leaf specimens of the Peruvian mahogany are not distinguishable from Swietmia macropbylla King, and can be 2 TROPICAL WOODS No.6 No. 6 TROPICAL WOODS 3 referred to that species temporarily with the reservation that MCCILAGE CELLS AND OIL CELLS IN THE flowering specime~s ~ay show di~erences. On geographical WOODS OF THE LAURACEAE grounds, that species 1s the most likely to occur th~re. In all probability the Colombian record of S. macropb)'lla 1s correct, /J_y H. H. ]A:\SSO:\JUS although flowers have not yet .been col.lecte? so far as I know." Handel.rmuuum of the Koloniaal lmtiluut at Amslerdam The following information 1s contained m letters from Mr. Barrel. "The mahogany trees are so tall and so difficult to The microscopical examination of the woods of the Laura­ climb that we had to visit twenty specimens before we could ceae for the ninth part of the Mikrograpbie des /lo/us der auj secu re any leaves. There do not seem to be any young trees. Java vorkommendm Haumarten, which will form the first part T he trees were not in bloom while I was there and no fruits of Volume V of this work, demonstrated the occurrence of oil could be found on the ground, but I left instructions that cells in the wood of nearly every species of this family so far samples should be sent. . investigated. These oil cells, which have already been de­ " The mahogany trees grow very far apart, and in one scribed by several authors, arc widely variable in abundance particular journey of eight hours of continuous marching in the different species. They occur (1) as a rule at the margins through the j ungle we were able to visit only 17 trees, and of the ordinary wood parenchyma, the latter not being abun­ these had previously been located by our Indian guide. An dant and usually only paratracheal; (2) sometimes diffused estimate of the mahogany standing is not now possible. We among the libriform fibers, in which case they are usually are continually discovering new territories in which it grows, limited to the neighborhood of the other wood parenchyma; but not a single tree, so far as we can ascertain, occurs below (3) often among the erect cells of the medullary rays. the Rio ~anay . Oil cells are nearly always more numerous on the radial " \\'e are erecting a modern band-mill, known as '\anay sides of the vessels than on the tangential, and in many cases ~Iills (Aguna), L td., on the Rio Amazon as at the mouth of the the}' are in direct contact with the vessels. When the oil cells

Rio Nanay and will be able to saw abou t 3001000 feet a month. are few in number thev arc nearlv alwavs isolated. Oil cells are We have also dammed the ou tlet of a small stream, thus form­ ellipsoidal or barrel-shaped with their.longest axis longitudi­ ing a log p ond with a capacity of upward of 10,000 logs. The nal, and they are larger than adjoining wood parenchyma cells location is six miles below Iquitos, and ocean-going vessels of and upright ray cells. Their walls are thin and lignified. There 5,000 tons carrying capacity can dock at our wharf. We is a very thin lignified skin surrounding the contents. expect to handle about 6,ooo logs of mahogany this year, as In several species of this family I found mucilage cells compared with 2,500 last year and I ,200 in 1924. All logs besides the oil cells and it is a striking phenomenon that these shipped are now carefully selected, and we are able to do this mucilage cells are disposed in the same places ana manner as by means of a powerful Stiff Leg Derrick. There is no equip­ given above for the oil cells. In fact the two kinds of cells are ment like ours in the whole Amazon and we believe that our distinguishable from one another only by their oil and their operations there will give a decided impetus to the timber mucilage. Furthermore, the study of the distribution of the business. oil and the mucilage cells in different specimens of the same " In addition to cutting permits on land owned by our as­ species and in different species of the same genus suggests sociates on the Rio Sumirai and Tapiche, we have several that one kind can replace the other. The oil cells are more hundred thousand acres of concessions on the Tigre, Pastaza, numerous than the mucilage cells in all cases so far examined, and Marona R ivers, and also on various tributaries of the Rio except three of five species of Cinnamomum, namely C. iners Ucayali." Reinw., C. javanicum Blume, and C. Burmanni Blume, in which the mucilage cells range from abundant to very abun- r\o. 6 No. 6 TROPICAL WOODS 4 TROPICAL WOODS 5 dant. In C. iners onlv the mucilage cells are found; in C. j aoanicum oil cells are.present, but only in small quantity; in SOME FUNDAMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS OF C. Burmanni, while the mucilage cells outnumber the oil cells, SPECI F IC GRAVITY the latter are more numerous and the mucilage cells corre­ spondingly less numerous than in the case of the two preceding By SAMUEL J. RECORD and HARRY D. TIEMASX species. . The specific of a wood the ratio of the weight of a T he mucjlage cells of these three species are very large, and gr~vity i ~ given volume of it to that of an equal volume of water. The two or more often in contact. If the wood is soaked in water volu~e of.a particular block. of wood is affected by its hygro­ the mutual walls neither disappear nor are ruptured by the scopic m.01sture content, being smallest when perfectly dry swelling of the mucilage, as usually happens in material where and maximum when the cell walls are saturated. Any wood is mucilage cells with unlignified walls adjoin one another. at its greatest density, in the sense that it contains the maxi­ .i\_1oistenin~ with water causes these three woods, and espe­ mum amount of wood substance per unit of volume, when it is c1all) C. mers and C. jauanicum, to become mucilaginous. absolutely dry, though its relative density, or specific gravity Pieces soaked for some hours become coated with a thick is usually least at that point. If the wood substance were of th~ mucilage layer. and t~e.wa~er gets sl.imy. ~he woods are very same specific gravity as the water and the swelling of this tough, but. their elast1c1tr 1s low; thin longitudinal pieces can su bstance were directly as the volume of the water absorbed be wound tn the form of a spiral and will retain that shape to then it is evident that the specific gravity of the wood su~ a considerable degree. stance ough~ not to .change with changes of moisture. But, as ~\'ith the. c~c~ption of the indications given by me in the dry specific gravity of wood substance is presumably about ,\fzkrograpJ,u t'tntgt r techniscb wichtigen Holzarten aus Surinam 1. 56, it would appear that absorption of water (below the (Akaortraits o~ i\10L1. and JA ~sso:-:rns, disclosed oil cells and equals o. 30 grams, or 0.30 cc. Hence if the swelling were pro- • m~c 1lagc cells m the secondary phloem, which were distin­ guishable from one another only by their oi l and thei r muci­ portional to the moisture absorbed it should amount to 30 per cent (20 per cent times its dry specific gravity) rather than lage. At that time I expressed the opinion that these two kinds per cent. We have become so accustomed to talking of of cells can apparently replace each other and tha t to this ~o moisture content in terms of weights, that we are apt to lose pheno'!'enon arc ~robably attributable some of the differences noted m the quality of cinnamon bark. sight of the meaning in relation to volumes. The specific grav­ ity after absorption in the above case would evidently be (December 1, 192~.) 6 TROPICAL WOODS No. 6 No. 6 TROPICAL WOODS i 1 1.5(i+o .l) =I. SorGi+ P . Ifit swelled2o percent same dry volume, and the usual" moisture per cent," aregiven 1(1+ 1.5xo.2) 3 1+GP in the following table: in volume and increased 20 per cent in weig ht its specific gra,·ity would evidently remain unchanged. But in that case TESTS UPON A BLOCK OF LEITERWOOD some of the volume of the water (namely, 1 .5 xo.2-0 .2, -- I 2 3 4 5 6 or o. I cc.) must have disappeared internally. I n measuring the swelling in a natural block of wood, it is Per cent Swelling, Volume Moisture difficult to know how much water occupies the interstices and of water of vol- Specific per cent per cent, how much enters the cell walls, and furthermore the total Time of soaking absorbed, ume in gravity of dry by volumetric swelling may not be the same as that of the volume per cent of weight air s:ibstance of which the block is composed. But if a very dense dry volume spaces piece could be used with scarcely any interstices, then the measurements ought nearly to approximate those of solid Thoroughly air~ry. wood substance. 1.365 8 3 JJ.6 8 s Oven dry ...... I 363 0 0 0 12.7 There are several woods which have a specifi c gravity Soaked I day ..... l 343 3 9 3 3 2.4 Cov:en-dry) of I. 30 or more and thus approximate a solid block " 2 days ... I 333 5 7 4 6 3.4 .. . . which wo~ld have an. oven-dry specific gravity of about 1. 56. .." 3 .. .. 1.340 6.1 5.9 4.3 T he_ heaviest wood m the Yale collections proved to be a .. 4 ...... 1 ·339 7 8 8.5 5 9 IO ...... 1.337 13·5 15.5 II 4 specimen of Letterwood (Piratinera guianensis Au bL) from .. D~tch Guiana. T his specimen was chosen for tests to deter­ 2 weeks...... 1.353 15 7 20. t 14·9 mine the affect of soaking upon specific gravity. " 3 ..... I 358 16 5 2'2 .0 16 .1 T he block when thoroughly air-dry had a specific gravity of " 6 " ..... I .368 18.0 25 5 18 .7 I .365. After being dried in an oven at 100°C. to a constant " 2. months... I 388 18 3 27 .8 '10.4 weig~t, it had a_specific gravity of J .363. T he specimen was " 4 " .... I .385 19 3 28.9 21.'l th~n immersed m fresh water and tested at intervals, at first " 9 ...... I 388 19 6 29·7 21.8 da1l>;, later a_t lo~ger peri~ds, for nine months. The changes in specific gravity, increase m volume in percentages of the dry volume, percentages of water absorbed by volume based on the From this table it will be observed that so long as the in­ crease in weight (5) keeps pace with the increase in volume (3) 1 Let Wa=weightof dry wood. v4=volume of dry wood. the specific gravity remains unchanged, whereas when the P=per cent moisture absorbed (expressed decimally). weight increases more rapidly than the swelling, the specific ga=speci6c gravity of dry wood. gravity of the block increases. But in either case it means that Wt1 Thenga=- · the volume of water entering the block exceeds the volumetric Va increase of the whole. In other words, a constant or an in­ New weight W=W4 (1+P). creased specific gravity with absorption of water means that Volume of water absorbed=WJP. . •. new volume v=-\•a+W.tP; and new specific gravity some of the water-volume must disappear, that is, it must Wt1( 1+ P) (1+ P) either enter the air spaces or else a reduction of the combined g v4(1 +gaP) gJ (r+g,,Pf volume of the wood substance plus imbibed water must occur; otherwise the specific gravity must decrease. It is calculated No. 6 TROPICAL WOODS 9 TROPICAL WOODS No. 6 8 and caused a swelling proportional to the vo.lume of water that the air spaces in the Letterwood amounted to I'.L 7 per imbibed) and then became nearly constant until the tenth day. cent of the original drv volume.2 It did not regain its oven-dry value until after three weeks. The volume of water absorbed after nine months' immer­ This of course follows from the fact that the volume (column sion amounted to 29. i per cent. Assuming that all of the air 3) in~reased in'ratio more rapidly than the rati~ ~£increase in spaces became filled then approximately 29.7- J'l .?= I,7 per weight (column 5) which would be the case prov.1din~ the.wood cent must ha,·e entered the cell walls. The proportion 1s not substance were heavier than the water entering into tt. In exactlv correct since as the block swells the percentage of air other words the mixture of the heavier and lighter substances space probably became less by approximately the percentage (wood and water) becomes lighter per unit of volume than t~e of swelling or (1 - . 196) X 12. 7 = 10 . 2 per cent air space left.a heavy substance alone. In comparing columns 2, 3, and 4 It T his would leave 29 .7-10.2=19. 5 per cent volume of the seems probable that during the first three or four days all of original volume of the block in the form of water to enter the the water absorbed was imbibed by the cell walls, but that cell walls. The actual measured swelling was 19 . 6 per cent. after this time some of the water also entered the interstices, T his is certainl y remarkably close to the volume of water im­ since the water-volume increase began to exceed the wood­ bibed according to the above analysis and would seem to in­ volume increase. The specific gravity, however, does not dicate that swelling of wood substance is proportional to the change until the rate incr~ase in weight (5) c~tches up and volume of water imbibed as hygroscopic moisture. passes the rate of volume increase after the th1.r~ week. It is also to be observed that the specific gravity at first ac­ The above analysis is based on the suppos1t1on that the tually decreased for the first two days (which should be the block as a whole swelled the same amount as the wood sub.. case explained above if all the moisture entered the cell walls stance. This, of course, is probably not strictlr true, b':1t sin~e the densest obtainable wood was chosen purposely with this 1 Using the metric sysrem: distinct end in view, it is probable that the disc_repancyisquite \'0 - volume of block, dry. \\'11- weighr of block, dry (same as \\',). small, if not entirely negligible. In the analys1~ as to the v~­ \',- volume of solid substance in the block, dry. ume of water filling the air space~ th~ assumpttor. that t!te atr \ '. - volume of air space in the block, dry. spaces were reduced by the swelling in the same proportion~ G,-spccific gra,iry of solid wood substance, dry. the swelling of the block as a whole, proba.bly ta~es care of this G -specilic gravit)' of the block as a whole, dry. 0 discrepancy, as it might b~ assumed that 1f the atr spaces were , ,, \.' ,. _ w, _ Wo_ VoGb not reduced then the swelling of the block as a whole would be \ .- - ,. - -G --G - - -· 11 , G, identical with that of the wood substance itself. The conclu­ sion is that the swelling of the wood substance is identical in volume with that of the water imbibed. A more definite conclusion might have been obtainable Let P 0 • per cent of the volume of the block (expressed in decimals) occupied . 1'h p Vo Go had the absorption taken place in a damp ~tmosp~ere_of about by airspace. en 4 =v =1-·G-. b • 80 or 85 per cent humidity rather than by 1mmers1on tn water, . •This i ~ p~rely an assumption. A hole bored in n block of wood evidenrly because no doubt the outer portions (both the wood s~bsta!1ce in creases in s17.e as the wood swells, bur the case of the luminn of the cells is and also the air spaces) became saturated before the interior. totally difl'crent. Observations indicate that the swelling of the wall radially That is, the outer layer probably had much more than the to the cell cavity is much greater than ic is in the circumferential direction. Roth ~howeJ th.at in ye!low pine rh~ lumina became smaller with absorption fiber-saturation-point requirement of water ~efore the first of m01sture. M1croscop1c examinations of dned cells seem to indicate the day, with only a few ~er cent average absorpt1~m. same. While no definite data are available, the a!.Sumption that the natural It would be interesting to carry on the experiment further, cavities in wood shrink in the same ratio that the block as a whole swells seems reasonable. ' TROPICAL WOODS No.6 10 No. 6 TROPICAL WOODS II and measure the swelling after the block had been boiled in something in between. Moreover, if any volume change of paraffin so that all the air spaces would be filled with wax, and solution occurs, that is, if the dry wood plus the liquid occupies the water could enter only the wood substance. Also, to less or more than the combined volumes of the two separately, measure the swelling of the wood substance itself by displace­ then there is introduced an indeterminable error in the ment in oil or melted paraffin, compared to the swelling of the method. It would seem desirable therefore to make a deter­ block as a whole. mination by means of some liquid which does not enter the Consideration of this problem has brought into question the wood substance, either by displacement or fl otation. In the meaning of speci fi c gravity of wood substance. The method meantime it is best not to assume the figure as definitely used by Dunlap 1 in determining this was to float thin slices in a determined. liquid (solution of calcium nitrate in water) whose density was made the same as that of the wood. The ambiguity consists in th at the liquid used also penetrates the substance being meas­ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON "PAU HOI" ured and causes it to swell. If we are to assume that no prefer­ ential absorption exists beween the wood substance and Regarding the Chinese "Pau Hoi," the statement in Cfrop­ the chemical sal t and that the salt enters the wood in the same ical Woods 1: 1 is not complete. I extract the following from concentration as exists in the surround ing solution, also that BRETSCHNEIDER, History of European Botanical Discoveries the swelling is in exact proportion to the volume of the solu­ in China, p. 710 (London, 1898) : "In 1898 P. [G. M. H. tion. imbibed, then the thing measured is not the specific Playfair] sent to Kew specimens in leaf of a tree called tciao gravity of the wood substance as a whole but instead it is the cbang, which he had collected in the mountains near Ning-po, specifi~ gravitr of the ultimate particl:s of which the sub­ with the information that shavings of the wood when soaked stance is c?mpo~ed. As there are probably interstices between in water yield a mucilage, which is used by Chinese ladies in these particles, m the drv wood into which the water enters bandolining their hair. These specimens were identified as causing swelling, then th~ actuai's pecific gravity of solid wood Machi/us Cfbunbergii Sieb. & Zucc., and flowering specimens subsca~ce a~ a ,~· hole would be something less than that subsequently received from the same gentleman confirmed determined m this manner. This may account for the dis­ the identification. On the authority of Dr. A. Henry, P. adds that the Canton shavings are from the same tree. Mr. Hemsley crcpancr bctw~en. the results obtained by Sachs of 1 • 4 to 1 . 52 figured the tree in HooKER, /cones Plant. tab. 2538 (1897). by Arc~1medes displacement method and 1. 54 to 1 . 56 by the suspension method, and of Dunlap's results of 1 . 5 to i . 62. See also Kew Bulletin 1897, P· 336." The account in Kew Bulletin extends over a page. The name k One of the main· b'~ect10ns · to the results is that we do not ° of the shavings in the Mandarin dialect, which is the most now any of the three assumptions made. If only the pure water enters the wood b l . . widely spread form of colloquial Chinese, is Pao-hua. J. th . . su stance eavmg the salt outside, then MATSUM URA (Sbolcubulsu-Mei-1, Part I, Chinese Names of e spec~ 11 c gravity measured is not that of d ry wood sub­ Plants, rage 218) also refers to this plant as ~ao-Yeh .. This ~tal n~~> u~ rath~r that of the saturated material. If any of the sa t is prererentiall}' b b d th book o Matsumura is founded on manuscripts which I the den · t a sor e , en the reverse is the case, gave to him when I retired from China in 1900 and it is the weight ~r\:ea~ret is the wood substance particles plus the most authentic list of the Chinese names of plants that has yet the salt solu~o~ sor ed salt. If .a change in concentration of been published. The shavings are also referred to by me in neither th takes place as 1t enters the substance, then Journal of dsiatic Society of Japan, Vol. XXIV, supplement e saturated nor the d ry density is measured but I, List of Plants from Formosa, No. 1112. - Prof. AucuSTINE • DU!il. .\P, FREDEltlClt· D ) Journ . .dp. Rruarlh .. . ·. cnmy of wood substance and porosity of wood. HENRY, College of Science for Ireland. • • 6. 42J ·8, Sept. 1914. TROPICAL \\"OODS No.6 No. 6 TROPICAL WOODS 13 A RAIN-TREE IN BOLIVIA on highlands, as Sierra de Nipe. Another species, J. saxicola One of the strangest phenomena observed by the members Britton & Wilson, has recently been described. It grows on of the .Mulford Exploration party of 1921 was that of a rather high ridges far from roads and is not now exploitable. There copious rainfall from the branches of a tree at mid-day in per­ is reason for believing that the latter is but a form of the fect!\' clear weather and in brilliant sunshine. The tree stood other, though good fruiting specimens will be necessary to on a.dry bank, in an open place by the side of the road, and determine the matter definitely. The name "sabina cimar­ with few other trees about it. The rainfall was continuous and rona" is given in Cuba to Podocarpus angustifolia Gris. and steady, and its pattering was like that of a mild shower on one P. aristulatus Par!. of our summer days. It was sufficient to wet one's clothing in Prof. Le6n also calls attention to the fact that the vernacu­ a few moments, if standing beneath the tree. The size of the lar name in Cuba of Calycophyllum candidi.rsimum DC. is tree was about that of a large wild-cherry tree. There being no "dagarne" and not "clegame" as given in the list of trade comen1ent wa} of climbing it, it was felled, when the cause names on the page cited above. This is a case, however, of the shower was found to be a profusion of caterpillars' nests, where the trade name represents a \'ariant from the vernacu­ of all sizes up to a foot or more m length, which occupied the lar, and it is pronounced as two syllables instead of three, forks of the branches and branchlets. They closely resembled with the accent on the final instead of on the first. It is some­ times spelled "degamme." Makers of archery bows usually the nests of our c~mmon te~t ca~erpillar, except that they call it" lemonwood." were surcharged with water, m which abundant larvae led an aquatic existence. The water was evidently drawn from the bark of the tree where covered by nests. No openings in the THE "BOIS PEI.~:" OF HAITI could be the n'aked eye, and the party had bar~ ~etect~d \~ith "Bois pelt!," Colubrina ferruginosa Brong., known as no tim: for an investigation of the mechanism of the proce­ "naked wood" in Florida and the Bahamas, is not found

NOTES ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF CAPE which have germinated exhibit such interesting peculi~ties BOXWOOD in this process that it seems desirable to place the details on record. The extreme northern limit of the range of Cape Boxwood This fruitappears to be reduced toasinglecarpel, which is very (Bu:i:ella M ac-Owanii Van Ti~g~~~ o~ B:1xus Macowani large, hard and woody, closely resembling that of A. Pobliana Oliver) is Ntsubane Forest, Lus.1 kis1k1, J?1st~1ct, East Pond Mexico...... 3,163,000 5,221,0CX> 'l,<}06, 9,558,CXX> ~ te~hnical. description of the fruit of this Aspidosperma, Africa ...... 16,1o6,0CX> 15,023,000 16,033, 26,081, All other Sources ...... •. 'l,807,CXX) 1,153,CXX) 'l,362,000 I,947,CXX) which is certainly an undescribed species, will appear in my r~port on the new genera and species of the Mulford Expedi­ Totals ...... 40,0031 42,895,oex> 46,975,000 70,282,CXX> tl?n, shortly to be published in Volume VII of the Mem­ om of lbe New York Botanical Garden. Several of the seeds 1 Published by permission of the U. S. Department of Commerce. No. 6 16 TROPICAL WOODS No. 6 TROPICAL WOODS

REQUIREMENTS FOR WOOD-PULP MILL SOME TRADE NAMES OF WOODS Before seriously considering the pulp-making properties of Ailon = Magnolia sp. (So. U. S. A.) any woods it is advisable to investigate the manufacturing Birmah = Santa Maria, CalopbJllum Calaba Jacq. (Brit. Hon­ facilities available in or near the areas of growth. Unless these duras.) (See 'J'ropical Woods 3: 9.) are suitable and economical the raw materials would be of no Burma "mahogany" = Pentace lmrmanica Kurz. (Burma.) value for this purpose. The foll owing are essential:- Cordia wood = Freijo, Jenny wood, Cordia Goeldiana Huber (1) ~ f ill site with a permanent fresh water supply of not (Amazon, Brazil.) less than 40,000 gals. per hour. Juana costa "mahogany" = Enterolobium cyclocarpum Gris. (2) Unless such site is in the immediate neighborhood of (So. Mex.) the raw material, say a radius of seven miles, water transport Kingwood = Dalbergia cearensis Ducke (Ceara, Brazil.) of the logs must be available to such site. Lacewood = quarter-sawn sycamore, Platanus occidentalis L. (3) If coal is not available, wood fuel must be present under (U.S. A.) similar transport conditions to (2). Lemonwood = degame, Calycophyllum candidissimum DC. (4) Lime or limestone of good quality must be present some­ (West Indies.) where in the district, but as the amount required is small in Mosal = Parana pine, Araucaria brasiliana Lamb. (So. comparison with raw material and fuel, it need not necessarily Brazil.) be near by. Picus "mahogany" = okoume, Aucoumea Klaineana Pierre. (5) The mill site should either be close to a shipping (West Africa.) port or, if distant, water transport should be available from Roba "mahogany" = crabwood, Carapa guianensis Aubl. mill to port. (Guianas.) (6) The quantities required for a pulp output of 10,000 Swamp "walnut"= willow, Salix nigra L. (So. U.S. A.) tons per annum (it is not worth while considering a smaller "Tecoma yew" = cabbage-bark, Andira inemlis H. B. K. unit) would be approximately: (West Indies.) 25,000 tons per annum of dry raw material. Veseet = white tamarind, Acacia glomerosa Benth. (Brit. 45,000 " " " of wood fuel or Hond.) 15,000 " " of coal. Yemoke = yemeri, J/od•)'Sia bondurensis Sprague. (Brit. 3,000 " " of lime or Hond.) 6,ooo " " " of limestone. If these conditions are possible it may be worth while in­ quiring into the suitability of the raw material and this can be NOTE ON SOVTH AFRICAN "KERSEHOUT" done on samples of about 3 lbs. weight each. This would not be The "kersehout," Pterocelastrus varia/;i/is Meisn. (Celas­ regarded as a complete test but the results would be sufficient traceae), is often erroneously known in English as cherry wood, to indicate whether or not the materials were good enoughlto although the vernacular name means candlewood. This warrant the expenditure which would be incurred on full trials mistake is due to the confusion of the words "kers" or of several tons each.-From letter of M r. W. R AITH, Ojficer­ "kaars" (candle) and "kersie" (cherry). The significance of tn charge, Paper Pulp Section, Forest Resem·ch Institute Debra 1 "kersehout" appears to be in the very straight candle-like Dun, .India, to Mr. N. OLIPHANT, Conservator of Forcsts J. appearance of the tree when young.-E. NEETHLisc, of Hr111 b llonduras. (Published by permission.) J. Kolcstad, South Africa. No. 6 J8 TROPICAL WOODS No. 6 TROPICAL WOODS Central American Pteridophyta Collected by Samuel J. Record, Jan.- March 1926. Identifications by \\'1LLIAM CURRENT LITERATURE R. M AXON, Smithsonian Institution. Forestry work in the Island of Porto Rico. By WM. P. Guatemala KRAMER. Journal of Forestry 24: 4: 419- 425, April 1926. "The forestry work in the Island of Porto Rico proceeds Asplenium unistriale Raddi. under the auspices of two governments, namely, that of the I>ryopteris mmiscioides (Liebm.) C. Chr. An extremely rare Insular or Island Government and that of the Federal or species. United States Government. Under a special cooperative agree­ British Honduras ment entered into six years ago between the Forest Service .tfdiantum puloerulentum L. of the United States Department of Agriculture and the De­ Adiantum tenerum Swartz. partment of Agriculture and Labor of the Insular Govern­ .tflsopbila Scbiedeana Kunze. ment, the Federal Forest officer in charge of the Luquillo Blecbnum occidentale L. National Forest is also employed as chief of the Porto Rico Dantra elliptica J. E. Smith. Forest Service; thus complete cooperation between the Fed­ Dicranopteris pectinata (WiUd.) Underw. eral and Insular Governments in forestry is secured and all I>ryopteris obliterata (Sw.) C. Chr. duplication of effort eliminated. I>ryopteris panamensis (Presl.) C. Chr. "Although the United States initiated the forest work in Dryopteris tetragona (Sw.) Urban. Porto Rico, the Island Government was quick to realize its Leptocbilus cladorrbizans (Spreng.) Maxon. true value and adopted in 1917 the law and the recommen­ lindstra portoricensis Desv. dations as proposed by officials of the Cnited States Forest lygodium mexicanum Presl. Service, but no appropriations were made available until the Nepbrolepis biserrata (Sw.) Schott. year 1919. Because of the lack of personnel and adequate Pit;rogramma tar/area (Cav.) Maxon. funds very little practical work was accomplished previous Polypodium Palmeri ~laxon. to 1919 and attention was directed chieflr to the formulation Pteris Kunuana Agardh. of plans for the effective organization of the Forest Service Se!aginella umbrosa Lem. and to the preliminary work essential to the taking up of definite practical projects during the fiscal year 1920 and those following. At the present writing progress .has been made and practical forestry ~a~ mov~d forward _with confi­ The following. series of articles by the editor of Shorea assamica Dyer).-A non-durable wood. ~ylmdncal, _or otherwise? 2 . Whether the timber is available Sp. gr. (air-dry) 0.64-0.70: "Impregnations u~der 5 I?s. m comm~rc1al quantity and if so, how much? 3. Uses; present per cubic foot are not satisfactory, as even with heav1er and _POSS1~le futur~ uses? 4. Seasoning qualities; best way of impregnation the side penetration is only about one-fourth deal~ng wi th t~7 timber, such_ as gi rdl~ng, converting green, tnch. Some specimens are capable of ta~ng up .a good deal etc.· 5· Durability; whether liable to insect attack, fungus, more than this and a 7-lb. treatment gives satisfactory re- 3.. TROPICAL WOODS No. 6 No. 6 TROPICAL WOODS suits." Full-cell process, wirh preliminary vacuum of 20 to JS '24 inches for 45 minutes, recommended. . indigenous hardwoods and of the introduced softwood species." 4. Otenga ( Dille~1 ia indira L.).--:--Ave.rage life untreated, about .'.) years ; csn ~a ted mechan.1cal life about, 12 yea.rs, Mogano Benin. By CAv. E. A. LEzz1. II Legno 5: 6: 113, fa ilure due to cracking. Sp. gr. (air-dry) 0.60. \\ ood easily March r 5-31, I 926. impregnated ; gross absorption heavy. Lowry process, with The Benin mahogany, Kbaya grandifolia Stapf, is found in hi1?hes t possi ble recO\·cry, recommended. the evergreen forests of southern Nigeria where it bears the Uriam (BiHhofia javanica Blume).-Average life un­ ~, . vernacular name of" oguanco." It attains a height of about tre".1 red, about 5 years. \\'ood tends to check badly. Sp. gr. roo feet and a diameter of 4. 5 feet at a height of 12 feet above (air-dry) 0.64-0.67. Only the sapwood can be impregnated. the ground. The buttresses or root spurs are 6 feet or more in .Empty-cell process recommended. Treated sleepers should height and their contorted grain gives rise to finely ~gured be laid in track with heart side up. wood. The crown is broad and open, and the large pinnate 6. Rollock ('fermina/ia 111)·riocarpa H. & M. A.).-Aver­ leaves are very glossy. This latter feature serves to distingu!sh age life untreated, about 5 years. Wood tends to check badly. this tree from the other species of Khaya, the leaves of which Sp. gr. (air dry) 0.64 0.73. Readily impregnated. Slow have a dull appearance. The bole is longer and smoother than Lowrr process, with gross impregnation of 10 lbs. and net of in the case of K. Puncbii and K. anthoteka. The capsule con­ 7 lbs. per cubic foot, recommended. taining the seeds is not very leathery and is divided into 5, 7. Ajhar (lAgerslroemia Flos-Reginae Retz).-Average life occasionally 4, segments. . . . . untreated, about 7 years. Sp. gr. (air-dry) 0.57-0.64. Only The wood of the Benin mahogany 1s similar in appearance the sapwood can be impregnated. " The timber, however, is a and properties to that of the o~hcr species of Kbaya, though \'ery good one and does not fall far short of the durability there is usually a larger proportion of sapwood because of the mark (n:ckoned as 10 years' life) when untreated. It is there­ more rapid growth of the trees. The ~imber reaches the market fore quite probable that the light treatment will tum the in the form of hewed logs about 28 inches square and 12 feet scale and give an increase in life more than commensurate or more in length. Y.ith the cost of t re~tment . ... It is strongly recommended that a pressure penod of three hours be employed so as to Insects and man in tropical America. By J. BEQUAERT. sterilize the wood." Natural History (:\ew York) 26: 2: 133-146, l\larch­ April 1926. This article bears the sub-title, "Impressions formed on a Forest Commission of Victoria. Sixth annual report. Finan­ journey to the River Amazon as entomologist of the third cial year 1924 1925. :\lelbourne, 1925. Pp. 12; 8 x 13. Hamilton Rice expedition.". 'I_'he author is a me~ber of the v· " T~e yea~ has been a notable one in the forest history of department of tropical medicine, Harvard Medi.cal School. ictona, b~ing marked by the growing interest in forestry "The time is at hand when the most progressive races of matt~rs .evinced by most classes in the community. This mankind will be driven by dire necessity to the virgin fields g r ow1~g mtcres ~ h~s been made manifest in a number of ways, of endeavor in the tropics. ~·e are far beyond the s tag~ in ?f which the pnnc1pal, or at least the one of most immediate which mere courage and physical s~rength fulfill. the requ1r~­ importance, was the sanctioning by Parliamen t of a forest ments of success in tropical enterprise. The tropics an~ their loan o.f £soo •ooo · Th'is sum i· s.to b e expended over a period of riches will ultimately belong to those peoples who ~k1lfully five ) ear~ for the systematic development improvement apply the multiple resources of hum a~ kn~wledge. To insure a conservation, and establishment of the fore~ts, both of th~ healthy, productive, and contented hfe will be the first prob- 36 TROPICAL WOODS No. 6 )em to soh•e. It is therefore safe to predict that entomology will have an ever increasing share in the settlement of equa­ torial regions ... where the struggle between insects and man assumes a fierceness not dreamt of by dwellers in tem­ perate climes." The rain forests of the tropics. By T oM GrLL. Nature Magazine (Washington, D. C.) 7 : 5: 297-300, May 1926. A highly interesting description of a tropical forest and the stniggle for existence among the various plant forms. The concluding paragraphs are as follows : "Half the virgin timber of the Philippines is already gone; Haiti is forestless, except for the straggling growths on her higher mountains; the forests of Cuba, exploited for more than 400 years, have degenerated in size and qualitr till they no more resemble the original cover than a stubble field resembles the tasseled corn. "This does not mean that forests must inevitably perish from the earth, for some countries have already learned to maintain and improve their woodlands through wise use. It only means that not forever can man reap without sowing­ not even in those moist and fertile regions of the rain forests. For Nature in her universal economy keeps very exact ac­ countings and, gladl) accepting man as an ally in the task of growing timber, resolutely refuses to be his slave. And as we begin to see more clearly that in the timber of the tropics lies America's one immediate hope in her crisis of hardwood ex­ haustion, it is well to remember in turn that the hope of these tropical forests is wisdom and forbearance in their use. "As man invades new forest frontiers, he determines con­ sciously or unconscious!}' whether the timber shall be treated as a crop capable of innumerable harvestings or whether, care­ l~~ of the aftermath, he shall slash and destroy. Today In the Gmt~d States man looks ~pon the results of practically un­ restricted forest destruction. H e finds little solace in the knowledge tha_t he might have acted wi.th more prudence. Tomorrow, ax in hand, he enters the tropics J t is for him to deci~e whethe~ he will foster and increase Na~ure's bounty by a wise harvestmg--or whether to add more wreckage to the treeless wastes and worthless jungles of the world." Price 25 cents

TROPICAL WOODS

NUMBER 7 SEPTEMBER 1, 1926

The publication of CONTENTS this journal is made possible Page by a gift to Yale University from the T he Editor Visits Central America 1 UNITED FRUIT COMPANY New Species of Trees Collected in Guatemala and British Honduras by Samuel J. Record 4 By PAUL C. STANDLEY Trees of the Lower R{o Motagua Valley, Guatemala 10 By SAMUEL J. RECORD and HENRY KUYLEN ,I',. Note on "Cow Trees,, 29 Native Woods. Used for Railway Crossties in British Honduras 30 By G. W. E. FRANCIS Outcome of the "Philippine Mahogany" Case 32 Note on" Arboloco" 33 By STONEY F. BLAKE Current Literature 35 Yale University School of Forestry

TROPICAL WOODS

NlT.MBER 7 September 1, 1926

A tecb11ical journal devoted to tbe furtberance of knowledge of tropical woods and forms and to tbe promotion offormry in tbe 'Tropics. 'l'be editor of tbis publication and tbe writer of any artieles tb(f"ein, tbe author­ sbip of wbicb is not otberwiu indicated, is SAMUEL J. RECORD, Professor of Forest Products in rale Unioersity. Address all communications to tbe editor, 205 Prosperi Street, New Haven, Connecticut, U. S. A. Price 25 centJ per copy

THE EDITOR VISITS CENTRAL AMERICA The editor had the privilege of visiting British Honduras and Guatemala last winter (January-March) under particu­ larly favorable circumstances. As the guest of the Forestry Department of British Honduras he was afforded every facility for studying forest conditions and making collections in different parts of the Colony. He is especially indebted to his Excellency, Governor John Alder Burdon, to Con­ servator of Forests J. N. Oliphant, to Asst. Conservator Duncan Stevenson, in charge of the Northern Districts, and Asst. Conservator Neil S. Stevenson, in charge of the Southern Districts. Forestry work, notably the improvement of young ma­ hogany, "banak," and a few other species, was seen to good advantage in the Middlesex area and Silk Grass Reser\'e, Stann Creek District. Experiments with local hardwoods for crossties on the British Honduras Railway were explained by TROPICAL WOODS 2 TROPICAL WOODS No. 7 No.7 J Supt. G. W. E. Francis, who publishes a summary of his Axemaster KruzioJmJron /errtum (Vahl) Urban Rhamnaceae findings in this issue. A visit was made to the Tidewater Banalt Yirokl m"mdonis Pittier M yristicaceae Black poison wood Mttopium Broumti (Jacq.) Urban Anacardiaceae Lumber Company's logging operations for secondary species Grande Betty Cupania ruattmaknsis Radlk. Sapindaceae near the railway, and the pine logging and milling operations Lignum-vitae Gymnantbts luciJa Sw. Euphorbiaceae at ,.\II Pines. My lady AspiJosptrma meralocarpon Muell. Apocynaceae At Hillbank, on New River Lagoon, the members of the Polalt Ocbroma litolor Rowlee Bombacaceae party were guests of Mr. C. Hummel, first Conservator of The first and last woods in the above list represent ex­ Forests of British Honduras and now manager of the Belize tremes of density, "axemaster," with a weight of 89 pounds Estate & Produce Company, Ltd. The forest and forestry per cubic foot, being the heaviest ever tested in the Yale work on the extensive holdings of this concern were explained laboratory and probably entitled to the rank of the heaviest by Mr. Hummel, and some important collecting trips were wood in the world, while the "polak" or "balsa," with a made in company of Mr. Harry Winzerling, of the forestry weight of about seven pounds per cubic foot, is the lightest staff. of all commercial woods. Three of the trees of the list, namely, Through the courtesy of Mr. James Craik, manager of the Krugiodendron, Metopium, and Gymnantbe.r, represent new Central Ame r i~~n operations of the Chicle Development extensions of the West Indian Aora. It will be noted that Company, a v1s1t was made to the company's experiment the so-called "lignum-vitae" is not the genuine lignum-vitae station at Honey Camp Lagoon, where Mr. M. Esquivel, in o~ commerce .CGuaiacum spp.) which belongs to an entirely char~e, and ~apt. H. M. Heyder, Asst. Conservator on special different family (Zygophyllaceae). It was a source of dis­ ~eta1l, provided opport~mty fo~ inspecting the sapodilla appointment that the identity of the species of the Honduras 1mp.rov:ments and tapping experiments, as well as for col­ rosewood could not be determined, but it is hoped that lecting important species. adequate botanical material for this purpose will soon be . The .trip up the Belize River to El Cayo, Benque Viejo, forthcoming. A revision of the preliminary check list of British \ aca Falls, etc., was made under the personal direction of Honduras trees (Tropical W oods 1: 1.+- 16) is being made in Mr. Ernesto Castillo, resident manager of the ~1engel Com­ cooperation with the Forestry Department. pany, operating for mahogany. One of the excursions from The visit to the valley of the lower Rio Motagua was C~mp Six included a portion of the Great Southern Pine made as the guest of the United Fruit Company. Excellent Ridge. facilities for getting acquainted with the forest and making The collections in British Honduras consisted of about collections were made available by Division Manager G. S. 250 pl~nts, of.which 53 were trees. Nearly all were in Aower Bennett through Mr. Henry Kuylen, manager of the Los or fruit, and in the case ?f the t r~es, wood specimens were Andes District. Botanical material and wood specimens of secured. ~he car~ful handling and dispatching of this material 50 trees were collected and Mr. Kuylen is continuing the from Belize during the collector's absence was kindly at­ work. A report on the trees of this region appears elsewhere tended to by Mr. C. V. Freeman, of the United Fruit Com­ in this issue. An inland trip was made to Guatemala City and pany. Antigua. In 'baddition 1 toh providing . . the bast's •''or th e new spec·ie s To the persons mentioned, and also to the many others d escrt eel e sew ere m this issue, the collections, thanks to who so kindly contributed to the success and enjoyment of ?rs. ~~andley' Rose, and Blake, have served to establish the his visit to Central America, the editor wishes to express .1dent1t1es of a number of doubtful trees including th f, II _ mg: ' e o ow his personal gratitude and that of the Yale School of Forestry as well. No. 7 TROPICAL WOODS 4 TROPICAL WOODS No. 7 s Type in the U.S. National Herbarium, No. 1,209,922, collected in forest NEW SPECIES OF TREES COLLECTED IN GUATE­ in the valley of the lower Rio !\fotagua, between Los Andes and Entre Rios, MALA AND BRITISH HO:\DCR:\S BY SAMUEL J. Guatemala, March 1, 1926, by Samuel J. Record ( ~o ..p; Yale ~o. 8872). RECORD The vernacular name is "palanco." This name, from By P AU L c. STAXDL EY I palanca, a pole used for propelling a boat, is given in Central T he important collection of trees made in January, Feb­ America to various trees of the Annonaceae. Prof. Record ruary, and l\larch, 1926, by Prof. Samuel J. Record in reports that the wood of /l. gualemalmsis is light-colored and British Honduras and the Atlantic coast of Guatemala, has rather soft, with prominent medullary rays. proved, upon study, to contain a number of species previously Only one other species of the genus has been found previ­ unknown. Descriptions of these are published here. The ously in Central America, A. panamensis Stand!., a frequent Caesalpiniaceae and Mimosaceae were studied by Drs. N. L. shrub in the forests of the Canal Zone. It differs from the Britton and J. N. Rose, who have contributed descriptions Guatemalan plant in its small leaves and I-flowered peduncles. of four new species in these families. Of the species here described, one (Anaxagorea) represents Cynometra retusa Britt. & Rose, sp. nov. a genus unknown p reviously north of Panama, and two A medium-sized tree, the twigs glabrous; leaf buds covered with large others (Cameraria and Couma) belong to genera new to the ovate striate bracts; stipules filiform, scarious, 8-10 mm. long, caducous; Central American flora. Among the trees of the collection petiole 4-5 mm. long; leaflets 1, membranaceous, oblong, oblique, acuminate, 6-8 cm. long, retuse, glabrous, shining above; flowers in very short, axillary, determined by the writer as belonging to pu blished species, sessile racemes; pedicels 7"'9 mm. long, hairy; sepals and petals yellow, the several represent notable extensions of range. latter 5 mm. long; ovary densely !:mate. The large number of novelties discovered in this collection Type in the U.S. '.'11 ational Herbarium, 'Ito. 1,109, 91 5, collected by Samuel emphasizes the fact that the forests of the Atlantic lowlands J. Record (~o. 1) near Entre Rios, lower Rio ;\loragua \'alley, Guatemala, Feb. (Yale No. of Central America are still very imperfectly known. ~lan v 25, 1926 8831). important trees await discoven• in these highh rnried Prof. Record writes of this tree as follows: "One of the forests. · · commonest trees of the forest. The new leaves are very light­ colored and on drooping twigs, being highly conspicuous in Anuagorea guatemalensis StandJ., sp. nov. contrast with the dark green of the old foliage. Bark thin, A medium-~izcd tree wJCh rather thin, smooth brown bark the inner smooth, brown, with prominent scattered lenticels. Wood bark fibrous; branchle~s ~erete, smooth; petioles ~tout, about ; cm. long, fine-textured, hard, light-colored. \"ernacular name, 'pata glabrous; leaf blades elhpt1~blong, broadest at or slightly above the middle, :8-35 cm. long'. 11-1-1 cm. wide, rounded-obtuse and abruptly short-acumi. de cabro,' in reference to leaves." nate at apex, with acute acumen, rounded to acutish at base thin glabrous sli~htlr paler beneath, with about 13 lateral nerves on each' side;' pedu n cle~ Inga Recordii Britt. & Rose, sp. nov. ax1l}.1ry, 5 cm. long or less, l or 3-flowered, the pedicels 5-7 mm. long, fe r. rugmous-tomentosc, the bracts 1.5~ . 5 mm. long, ovate.deltoid, obtuse; A medium-sized tree, the twigs puberulent; stipules wanting; petiole t-'l cm. long, tercte; rachis of leaf winglcs.~, pubescent, bearing large cup-shaped sepals ovate-~blong, 7-8 mm. long, spreading, obtuse, ferruginous-tomentosc; glands between the leaflets; leaflets 5 or 6 pairs, lanceolate, long-acuminate, outer petals m ~ud 13 mm. long, densely ferruginous-tomentose outside· 5 13 cm. long, shining and somewhat pubescent above, pale and apprcsscd. carpel~ ?f the fruit about 4, glabrous, the sterile stipelike basal portion 1 cm'. pubescent beneath; spikes 1-4 cm. long, axillary er in terminal panicles; long, thickened ~pward, rhe bod>: of the carpel obliquely ovoid, 1.5 cm. long, peduncles 1-1 cm. long; bractlets minute; calyx 4-5 mm. long, apprcssed­ 1 cm. bro;id, cleh1scent alon~ the inner suture, bearing at apex a stout abrupt pubescent; corolla slender, 18 mm. long, silky-pubescent; stamens J cm. long, beak 3 mm. long; seed~ 2 m each carpel, strongly compressed, black, very lustrous, :tbout 14 mm. long and 8 mm. wide. the sheath included; ovary tcrcte, densely lanate. Type in the U.S. National Herbarium, No. 1,109,905, collected by Samuel J. Record in Stann Creek District, British Honduras, Jan. 19, 1926. Also 1 Published by permission of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. TROPICAL WOOD$ ...a .. , with .... lip, *'- to hroldl1 NOllded at base, ..... waation prominent Oil both aarfacea; bod1 ol lrait .,., tllick and ~ ~ cm..in greatat diameter. coanelJ reticulac.wiacd. glabroaa. TJPe in the U. S. Nadonal Berbuimn, No. a,toMll, mUecllld at M». ~ Brit:iah Honduru, Ju. 17, 1926, br Samad J, Record (No. 12; Yale NO. 178o). 1l«ad No. I (Y.Jc No. 17'9), hm die tame lacalitr. - ...... the apeciea. Cul...... _.. Britt. & Rose, sp. nov. The leaves of P. klhmsis reaemble thoee oE P. oj/k_i11111is, but the remarkable size of the fnUts precludea the reference A abrub or ..a taee. tJ. twip taae and pubescent; leaWI twice pinute,, of this British Honduras tree to that species. In all the fruits, the petiole and ndaia pabacaat; pinnae 2 pain; lea8eta 4-6 pain, obloat. obtu1e, glabroaa aboft, p.Jc and IOftly pabacent beneath, not glandular; Unfortunately, the wings have rotted or have been broken off. racemes elongate, 2S-30 cm. long, many..ftowered, pubescent; bracts ovate, They were found on the ground, but the collector states that acuminate, pubescent, 4-6 mm. long, caducous; pedicele I 5~ mm, long, there is no doubt as to their proper association with the foliage fointed near the middle, pubescent; calyx .,-8 mm. long, softly short.pubes­ specimens, since they were found under all the. trees bearing cent, the lobes obtuse; petals about 10 mm. long, purplish with yelloJriah such foliage. margins, the outer ones covered on the outside with eeuile glands; stamens only a little longer than the petals, densely long-lanate on the lower half; The tree is known locally as .. kaway" or .. awamp kaway.'' ovary densely pubescent. It is reported to be very common along stream banks. The Type in the U. S. National Herbarium, No. 1,209,908, collected by Samuel bark has a blood-red latex. Prof. Record states that the J. Record in British Honduras in February, 1926. wood is rather soft and white, but as a result of injury it takes on a beautiful red and brown coloration, suggesting Zygia Recordii Britt. & Rose, sp. nov. the cabinet woods of some of the species of the Far East. A shrub or medium-sized tree, the twigs glabrous; leaves lelliJe or nearly Mouriria cyphocarpa Standl., sp. nov. 90; pinnae 1 pair, with a gland between them and between the upper pair o( ledeta; rachis o( pinnae pubescent; leaSets 2, 3, or 4, obliquely oblong, 4"'9 Medimn-aiad tree with glabrom branchea and foli9; brandlleca IJmwn, cm. long, acute, obtme, rctuse, or aometimes short..acuminate, glabroua, terete; petioles stout, 3 mm. loag; leaf blades lanoe.oblong or narrowly strongly veined on both sides; Sowcn in short, aessile or short-pedunded elliptic:.obloag, 10-17 cm. long, 4-S-6.C: wide, abrapdy abarwcuminale, spikes; calyx 0.5 mm. long; corolla slender, 5 mm. long, glabrous; stamens 12 rounded and usually emarginate at dark green aboYe, macb plllcr mm. long, the sheath long~xserted; pods flattened, 5-10 cm. long, 1 an. beneath, with about 15 pain of nearly straight lateral nena, tbele anaato. broad, strongly curved, aometimes orbicular, glabrous; seeds flattened, JllOling c:be to the margin; pedlllle2 in &Wt 2 cm. laag, glabroaa, beariag :a orbicular, 1 cm. in diameter. or more ftowen; frWting pedicel 6 mm. loac, finely ~ fruit Type in the U.S. National Herbarium, No. 1,209,906, collected by Samad aabglobole. uymmetric, 1.5 cm. in diameter, amred (lib the bro.d per­ J. Record along the bank of New River, near Gui nea Grass, British Hon­ aiatent calyx lobes) with a fine dense fenusinoaa tomeatam; ovary ·~ duru, Jan. 29, 1926. Collected also in the Entre Rfoa region, lower R(o endy 4-c:ellcd, but 2 of the cells abortiw. the lenile oaea 1..eeeclecl; teeda Motagua valley, Guatemala, Feb. 25, 1926 (No. 5; Yale No. 88.)6). imguJarly aemiglobole, 8-11 nun. in peateat diamemr, dark hrowa ad shining, but adherent to the cell wall. Zygia Browne has been segregated recently from Pitbt­ Type in the U. S. National Herbarium, No. 1,'65.7131 ooUectecl ta tlae Loi colo/Jium by Fawcett and Rendle. Andes region of the lower RSo Mcmaua Ya11o1, Guaciemala. ~ -.s. 1g4 by Samuel J. llecord (No. 12; Yale No. 8843), Only one other s~ies of Mouriri11, M. 'IHni!o/IA ._, Pterocarpus belizensis Standl., sp. nov. has been reported from Central America. fn tMt • i...,. Tall tree with high buttresses, the bark thin, smooth, greenish gray; are 1 ~nerved and only 2-6 cm. long. ~ Gu_..,,._ branchJeta slender, tcrete, glabrous; leaves glabroua, the slender rachia 16-19 has foliage similar to that of the Mexicaa J4. ~ W cm. Jone; leaflets ?-9• on pctiolulcs S-'7 mm. long, the blades lanc:e.4blong to the fruits of the two species are quite diaaimiler. avau-obJong, r r-17 cm. long, 3.5-6.5 cm. wide, rather abrupd1 long- TROPICAL WOODS No. 7 8 No. 7 T ROPICAL WOODS 9 Cameraria belizensis Standl., sp. nov. probably sheds its leaves during the "verano" or dry season, Small me with slender twigs and ashy gray bark; branchlets dark red­ and develops new leaves at the time of blossoming. There is brown, glabrous; petioles slender, 1-3.5 mm. long; leaf blades ovate--0val, a t hand a specimen with fruit and fully expanded leaves that :0-30 mm. long, 12-20 mm. wide, rounded at base, rounded at apex and is doubtless referable to the same species. This was collected emarginatc, dark green, glabrous, the lateral nen·cs very numerous, irregu­ by the writer (No. 15,100) in a swamp near Puerto Barrios, larly anastomosing near the margin, connected by numerous irregular vein. lets; flowers terminal, solitary, the slender pediccb 3-4 mm. long, glabrous; Guatemala, in June, 1926. \\'ith the material obtained at calp: glabrous, '2 mm. long, the 5 lobes roundcd--0vate, imbricate, obtuse and that time, I had not been able to determine the tree, but mucronate, with thin margins; corolla white, glabrous, the tube 6-7 mm. while studying Prof. Record's collection, I remembered the long, dilated in the throat, the 5 lobes broad, nearly equaling the tube; tree of Puerto Barrios, and recognized its identity with the anthers short, obtuse, the connective produced into a long filiform appendage. Type in the U.S. National Hcrbarium, No. 1,209,909, collected in open flowering material. savanna near Honey Camp Lagoon, Orange Walk District, British Hon­ No species of Comna (Apocynaceae) has been known duras, J an. JO, 1926, by Samuel J. Record, previously from Central America. The occurrence of ~he genus in Guatemala is a matter of interest, since a Colombian The material available for study is fragmentary and species is said to yield chicle. In the case of the Guatemalan incomplete, but the writer feels fairly confident that it is tree, which is known as "palo de vaca" (cow tree), P ~of. referable to the genus Cameraria, which has not been known Record states that when the bark is cut or broken, a nch previously from Central America. The tree is known as creamy milk pours out in abundance, and this, as he pr~ved "sa,·anna white poison," and is reputed to be very poisonous by personal test, is sweet and palatable and not very sticky. when in contact with the body. He reports further that the bark is about 1 cm. thick, red­ brown, and coarsely granular; the wood dull brownish and Couma guatemalensis Stancil., sp. nov. moderately hard and heavy. Large tree with milky sap, the young twigs hirtellous with short slender stiff brownish hairs; leaves ternate, the petioles stout, 8-17 mm. long, hirtellous; Chom elia Recordii Stancil., sp. nov. leaf blades elliptic, those of the flowering branches 6.5-8.5 cm. long and 3.5-4.5 cm. wide, the mature blades up to 27 cm. long and 18 cm. Small tree, the twigs grayish, ~hort-hirtcllous, unarmed; stipulcs 4-5 mm. wide, usuali)· obtuse and abruptly short-acuminate at apex, obtuse at long, oblong-triangular, acumi.natc, appresscd-p~I~; petioles 3 mm. long, base and often short-decurrent, thin, deep green above and glabrous or pilose with short spreading ham; leaf blades elhpt1c--0vate, 4-8.5 cm. long, nearly so, beneath spa~lr soft-hirtcllous, the costa \·cry stout, t he lateral 2-5 cm. wide, obtuse or acute, with obtuse ~ip, rounded or obtuse at base, nerves about 18 pairs, straight or slightly curved, the lower ones divergent at subcoriaccous, green above, sparsely short-p1losc along the costa, elsewhere nearly a right angle, the transverse nerves nearly straight and parallel· cymes glabrous, the ~ta and. latcr~l . nerve~ impressed, beneath slightly p~er, borne in the axils of the upper leaves, many-flowered, dense, the peduncles copiously short-p1lose with wh1t1~h h:urs, the lateral nerves about 6 pairs, z-:4 cm. l~ng, sparsely puberulent; pedicels 1-3 mm. long, densely and arcuatc· flowers clustered and sessile at the ends of the branchlcts; calyx and minutely h1rtellous, the bracts small, dry, brown; calyx 4 mm. long, densely hypanthium 5~ mm. long, tubulnr.cnmpanulate, densely .Pilose with long puberulent, the lobes oblong, obtuse, very unequal; corolla pink, the tube 1 apprcsscd white hairs, the lobes lincar--0~long, a~ute or a_cunsh,_ abou~ equal­ cm. long, ~la~rous below, puberulent above,_ the. lobes oblong, 6-9 mm. long, ing the hypanrhium; corolla densely p1losc-scr1ccous with white hairs, the obtuse; fruit (immature) subglobose, 2.5 cm. in diameter, abruptly cont racted tube very slender, about 2 cm. long, the lobes oblong, obtuse, 4 mm._ Ion~.

at base into a very short, thick stipe. Type in the U. S. National Hcrbnrium, No. 11:20!).919, collected m high Type in the U. S. National Herbarium, No. 1,209,923, collected in the forest between Los Andes and Entrc Rios, in the lower Rio Motagua valley, valley of the lower Rio Motagua, near Entrc Rios, Guatemala, March 1, Guatemala, March 1, 1926, by Samuel J. Record (No. 31; Yale No. 8862). 1926, by Samuel J. Record (No. 42; Yale No. 8873). A well-marked species which can not be confused with any The type consists of flowering material. It is to be in­ of the few members of the genus reported previously from ferred, from the immaturity of the leaves, that the tree Central America. The local name is " clavo. ., TROPICAL WOODS No. 7 JO No. 7 TROPICAL WOODS TREES OF THE LOWER RiO MOTAGUA VALLEY, Il GUATEMALA open stands nearly to the Motagua River. Still farther west the vegetation becomes more open and stunted, the pine is B)' SAMUEL J. RECORD and HENRY KuYLEN confined to the high ridges, and eventually there is a stretch In the area under consideration the a".'e.rage annual rain­ of desert. The forests about Guatemala City are open stands fall is in excess of 100 inches and the cond1t1ons are favorable of scrubby hardwoods, with occasional patches of pine and for growing ban~n_as, the onl y _impor~a~t in~ustry. In nat~ral cedar. conditton the so1l 1s covered with a virgin rain forest of mixed ~he only timber of eastern Guatemala that is being export­ hardwoods. In clearing for cultivation it has been the common ed 1s mahogany. Most of the lumber for local construction is practice to ~estroy all of the ~m ber except .t~e ~ahogany, imported from the United States, being chiefly southern pine but a beginmng has been made tn the local ut11tza1:1on of sev­ and cypress. The railway crossties are creosoted southern pine. eral species for purposes of general construction. Excellent Local woods are used for temporary piling, construction of transportation facilities are afforded by rail to the seaport at bridges across the drainage canals and ditches, and very re­ Puerto Barrios, reducing to a minimum the mechanical diffi­ cently in a limited way for general construction lumber. It is culties of exporting logs. the belief of the writers that these timbers will prove to be The bottomlands of this region range from swamps to satisfactory for many local purposes and that some of them higher lands rarely, if ever, inundated. In the swamps the should find a market in the United States. They may be rough­ large trees are scattered and there is a thick tangle of under­ ly classified as follows: growth, with more or less abundant manaca palm and bamboo. Structural timbers.-Aguacatillo, carb6n, chaperno, chichi­ The forest improves toward the better drained soils and is at pate, frijolillo, granadillo, guayabo, hormigo, lagarto, laurel, its climax on the lands best suited for banana culture. Here maquelizo, paleta, rajate bien, and Santa Marla. the tree~ are tall, many wi th high buttresses, and a person can Furniture woods.-Caoba, ciruela, cola de mico, encino, make his way through the forest without being seriously im­ granadillo, guanacaste, hormigo, and laurel negro. ped~d by the undergrowth. There are no pure stands of single Veneers for plywood.-Aguacatillo, bar bas, carb6n, lagarto, species, but the trees which commonly rise a bove the others leche amarilla, sangre, Santa Marla, and tortugo. ~re less tha~ twenty in number. Dr. H. N. Whit ford, who vis­ Wheelwrigbt work.-Chaperno, chichipate, granadillo, pa­ ited the region in 1919, estimated that three-fifths of the stand leta, and silion. ~as composed of five species, namely "tamarindo " "naran- Boxboards and pulp.-Amate, ceiba, chilicuate, Indio des­ u u • UH ) ) JO, mas1co, zorra," and " cei ba." nudo, jobo, San Juan, and tapasquit. The hig_her lowlands merge into the foothills and while the The following notes regarding the trees and woods are based same species may be found, their relative abundance changes, upon the personal observations of the authors. The wood speci­ h~d "naranjo" and "ta~a~indo" become more common. Still mens are in the collections of the Yale School of Forestry and gh~r up, the characteristic tree is the "Santa Marla." Ac­ are of two series: (r) The Guatemalan portion of Nos. 3670- c?rding to Dr. Whitford the average stand of merchantable 3745, collected by Dr. H. N. Whitford and Mr. L. R. Stadt­ timber on the ridges is about 8000 board feet per acre with some a h" ' miller, who accompanied the Economic Survey Mission sent half rel~ ~e~~ mg at least I 5,000 feet, of which fully one- out in the spring of 1919 by the U.S. Department of State for " wo? e Santa Marla" and a fourth " tamarindo" and the purpose of making a survey of the economic resources of naranJo." the region in eastern Guatemala and Honduras lying between Pine and oak are common on the foothills near Virginia and the Motagua and Chamelec6n Rivers. (See BLAKE, S. F.: Na­ westward and on s f h I . . · > ome o t e ta petate s01ls the pme grows tn tive names and uses of some plants of eastern Guatemala and TROPICAL WOODS No.7 No. 7 TROPICAL WOODS 13 12 Honduras. Contr. U.S. Nat. Herb. 24: 4,.1922.) (2). Nos. 8832- Wood moderately light and soft, but tough. Has rays as prominent as in sycamore (P/aJaniu). Pores few, small, irregularly scattered. Parenchyma in in 2 Ollected by Record and Kuylen the spring of 1926. fine, closely spaced, concentric lines. (Yale No. 8871.) 89 S' c · 1 . 1 f h fi . The iden tification of the botamca materta o t e rst series dnona sp. "Anona." Slender tree, sometimes 75 feet high. Fruit about as was by Dr. Blake, that of the second by Dr. Paul C. Standley, large as the custard apple. Wood of medium hardness. assisted by Drs. Blake and J. N. Rose. . The following list includes representatives of 84 genera and APOCYNACEAE s families. '\'hi le a ~re~t many of the trees are useless. fro~ Couma guatemalensis Standl. "Palo de vaca." (See p. 8. ) Large uec, 3 apparently rare, with thick, dark-colored bark with copious creamy white the standpoint of their timber, th~y serve as valuable aids in latex that is palatable. Not utilized. May prove valuable as a source of chicle. the classi fication of woods on a basis of structure, though only Wood dull brown, moderately hard, of medium texture and fairly straight in occasional instances are such points touched upon in this grain, not difficult to work. Pores nor very numerous, small, but visible, in paper. A few items of special intere~ t from an anatomic.al radial rows of two to several; white substance common. Rays fine and incon­ spicuous. Parenchyma in irregular network with rays; not visible without lens. in in standpoint are: lntercellular canals some of the rays Minute anatomy: Larger pores mostly 0.14 mm. in diam.; vessel per­ Maximilianea (Bixaceae) ; ripple marks in the same wood; forations simple; intervascular pits minute, the apertures lenticular. Rays cribriform fi ber-pit membranes in Courna (Apocynaceae); den­ heterogeneous in part; one or two cells wide and up tow, mostly under 12, cate ray tracheids and small ray pits in Pinus oocarpa, a white cells high; cells with gummy contents, occasionally alsowithcrystals; pits into vessels elongated (mostly vertically) to include two to several in vessel wall. pine (Pinaceae) ; and oak-like rays in Parathesis (M yrsin­ Parenchyma in irregular, tangential, uniseriate lines, the cells filled with red aceae). gum in heartwood; no canals or latex tubes seen. Fibers in radial rows; cavi­ ties large; pits fai:rly numerous, with distinct circular borders and lenticular AMYGDAl.ACE AE orilices; pit membranes appear disti11ctly r:rihijorm. (Yale No. 8873.) Lica11ia bypoleuca Benth. "Chozo." Medium-sized tree with rather small

billo," or "naranjo." Large tree, 125 feet ~all, with long and well.formed trunk fine-te~t~d, straight-grained, not durable. Pores in radial groups, rays · . L- (av \ in diameter above the high root spurs, the bark very smooth 35 IDUKi> • 201 • h h"lls • h very distinct on cross section, parenchyma not visible. (Yale No. 886o.) and of a light grar colo~. The tree is of commo? occurrence m t ~ 1 , !n t e n \'Cr bottoms and also'" swamps. !he logs will not float: The ttm~r IS !'ot Gt:TTIFERAE \ -Cl'\" eas" to •·ork, but is highly resistant to decay and to insects and 1s suita­ Calopbyllum Cala/Ja Jacq. "Sanra ~I aria." Tree r 10 feet high with a well­ ble 'for ~a vy and durable consrrucrion. formed bole free of branches for upward of 6o feet, and 30 to 40 inches in Thick S3rwood light olive, heartwood darker and sometimes streaked deep brown or black. Texture medium, somewhat splintery; grain rocy, producing diameter. Fairly common on clay soils and hills. General appearance suggests mahogany. Timber eas}" to work, is resistant to ants, fairly durable when ex­ feather striping on tangential surface. Wood takes a high polish and would posed. \Varps badly, even in sawing. Used in construction work for beams, make attracti"c furniture. (Yale .!\os. 3678, 3695, 3709, 8887.) {For detailed framing, siding, and floors. (Yale Nos. 31>91, 3691A, J703 1 8920.) (See )'"Ccd"U· n o. ,,~•~1 ed1. um-s1.'z ed tree m. lowland forest. amen co ccre was covered with ants. No uses of timber known. in the bottomlands. Not utilized. TROPICAL WOODS No.7 No. 7 TROPICAL WOODS 23

MYRSJNACEAE Cbamatdorea sp. "Lancitillo.'" ("Monkey-tail" of British Honduras.) Small slender palm with very stout stem. Not utilized. P•mbtsis mon11n1btr11 D. Sm. " Manchador." Small tree in dense forests of Cocw nucifera L. ••Palma de coco." The coconut, planted for its fruit. bottomlands. Not urilizcd. Oreodoxia rt:ia H.B. K. ··Palma real." The royal palm, often planted. Wood pinkish, rather light and soft, fine-textured. Pores very small, scat- tered. Ra\'S distinct, suggesting beech (Fag1t1 ). (Yale No. 8856.) PrsAC£A£ Paraik1i1 Rt koi Stand!. " Chimichc." Small tree of the dense lowland for- est. •,;ot utilized. Pinus carib1ra Mor." Pino.'' This three.needle pirch pine, which is the same \\ood resembling white oak (~,1urcu1 a/ha L.) in color and general appear- as that of British Honduras, is common in hilly interior localities and on sandy ance, but moderately light nnd soft, easy to work, takes a smooth finish. Raya flats with hardpan (talpeuue), grows in open stands and is usually slender. "cry conspicuous, producing beautiful oak-like figure on quarter-sawn lum­ Used for piling. ber. (Yale ~o. 8875.) Pinus oocarpa Schicde. "Ocote" or" pino." This pine usually has its nee­ Paratbt1is Jtrrulnta (Sw.) Mez. Small tree, common in lowland forest. Not dles in clusters of 5 (sometimes 3 or 4) and is more like the white pine and the utilized. wood is softer than that of the preceding. Tree confined to hills. Wood similar to preceding, only somewhat harder and heavier. Both well Wood light-colored, uniform-textured, with no dense bands of late wood in suited fo r furniture and cabi net work if they can be had in proper sizes. (Yale growth rings. Resin ducts conspicuous. Pits between ray parenchyma cells and Nos. 8834, 8847.) wood tracheids small, simple, 3 to 5 per cross field. Ray trnchcids with upper and lower walls smooth to reticulate. (Yale Nos. 3715, 3735; Honduras.) MY R IS T I CA CEA E Virola mmndonis Pitticr. " Sangre." ("Banak" of British Honduras.) PoACEAE Large tree, 125 feet high, with trunk sometimes 50 inches in diameter (av. 35 Bambos aculeata (Rupr.) Hitchcock. "Tarro granJc." Stems used for poles in.) and free of limbs for cp per cent of its length, growing in all kinds of soil. and gutters, cut into sections for planting pots, and when partially split and l.ogs will float. Timber of medium density, easy to work, finishes smoothly. flattened out serve for floors, siding, and partitions of native huts. Usc_d for ba!tcns and interior work. ls not resistant to decay or to ants. Logs subject to pinworm attack. (Yale Nos. 3679, 8838.) Timber of this species now being exported from British Honduras to the United States, mostly for manu­ Rus1ACEA£ facture of plywood (Sec 'l'ropica/ Woods +: 12-13, Dec. r, 1925.) Chome/ia Recortlii Stand!. "Cla\'o," (Sec p. 9.) Small tree, with somewhat fluted trunk, occurring in dcn!;C forest. ~ot utilized. Wood very light brown, moderately hard and heavy, straight-grained, very 0 CHNACEAE fine-textured, easy to work, not durable. Suitable for small turned articles. Ouraua podogyna D. Sm. \fedium-sized tree in lowland forest. Not util­ Pores minute, very numerous. Parcnchyma not visible. Rays barely visible. ized. (Yale No. 8862.) Ixora nicaragumsis Wernham. "Amnco." Small tree, common in lowland \~ood pale brown, ~oderntcly hard and heavy, fairly straight-grained, mcd1um.rcxturcd, not difficult to work, not durable. Pores barely visible, ir­ forest. Not u tiliicd. Wood similar to preceding, but somewhat denser, pores less numerous. rcgul_arly sc:i~tered, mostly single. P arenchyma not visible without lens, Parcnchyma in exceedingly fine network scarcely visible with lens. Rays not fo;mmg, fine, irregular network with the rays. R ays distinct on cross section. Ct ale No. 885;.) visible without lens. (Yale Nos. 8840, 8866.) Posoqutria /aJijolia (Rudge) R. & S. "Chintonrol.'' ("Snake-seed tree" of P ALMACEAE British Honduras.) Small or medium-sized tree found in dense lowland for­ est. Not utilized. Alla/ea Cobunt Morns. " Palma de manaca" or "palm a de coroza." ("Co­ Wood similar to preceding. Parcnchyma network very distinct under lens. hune palm" of B · · h H • nus onduras.) T he most common palm of the region. Some of the rays visible without lens. (Yale No. 8858.) Leaves .muchhuscd for thatch. Kind of beer made by cutting hole about a foot Randia armata (Sw.) DC. "Torolillo." Small tree of lowland forest, with square into t e "cabbage" d · . . . . • part an screening 1t tightly for about a week dur- very thin, brown, fibrous bark. Not utilized. ing f~rm~ntauon .. Kernel of nuts yields high grade oil (" Cohunc oil") but ex­ Wood pale brown, hard, heavy, tough, and strong, very fine-textured, 15 tha~tron very difficult on account of the hardness of the thick shells. These straight-grained, not durable. Suitable for tool handles. Differs from preccd• 5 c Is w~ re u5':? dunng the war as a source of charcoal for gas masks. ing woods in having few pores and parenchyma in distinct tangential or con­ . Bactm sp. Cu1scoyol." ("Pokenoboy" or "pork-and-doughboy" of Brit­ centric bands. Rays uniform, minute, not visible without lens. (Yale No. Sh H ondur~(') Slender palm, very spiny throughout. The fruit is edible. 8867.) terns U\Cd or rafters and partitions of huts, and for making fish traps. TROPICAL WOODS No. 7 No. 7 TROPICAL WOODS

R u TACEA E Cal?u1rpum mamm?sum ~L.) Pierre. "Sapote." Large tree of the uplands, som~t1mes 100 feet high, with erect but usually short trunk covered with a Em16tcJ:ia pmiapbylla (Macfad.) Gris: Med!um­ " ~alse ca nd l e~ood ." reddish brown, shaggy, latescent bark. The fruit is edible. sized trtt •·ith smooth, greenish bark showing irregular light­ ~e rtt cal rows? ~ _The brown wood is rather hard, mostly straight-grained, easy to work, colored lenticels. Fruits woody, star-shaped capsules. T imber not uuhzed. fairly durable. Little utilized as the trees are chieflv valuable for their fruit. Wood light yellow, hard, heavy, tough, and ~trong,_ fine-textured, fairly (Yale No. 3680.) (See '/'.of 'I'. A., pp. 491-2.) · straight-grained, difficult to takes a high polish. Swtable for handles and ~plit, Lucuma i-zallaknJiJ Stand!. "Silion." Large tree, 1z5 feet high, with a nrticles of turner)·. Pore:; small, faintly visible, scattered, mostly in radial merchantable length of 50 to 6o feet, and average diameter of :i5 inches (max. pair<. Parenchyma in distinct tangential bands of variable wi dth and spac­ 40 in.). Logs will not float. Timber checks badly in the log, thus reducing its ing. Rays fine, faindy visible. (Yale !'\o. 885 1.) value for heavy and durable construction. 7-".s Donnd/..Smitbii Rose. " Mahau." (" Y cUow moho" of British dant. The slender yellow flowers are conspicuous. Honduras.) Medium-sized tree, common on uplands and hillsides. Not Wood pinkish brown, very light in weight, but fibrous and tough, coarse­ utilized. textured, easy to cut, but saws wooly, does not appear highly durable. (Yale Wood white, ~cee di ngl y light and soft, spongy and fibrous, perishable. Nos. 368r, 3708, 89r9.) (For detailed description sec feet high, with very irregular trunk and high buttresses, growing Amaco lxora nicaragumsis Wernh. Rubiaceae in dense lowland forest. Amate Ficus glabrala H. B. K. Moraceae Wood pinkish brown, of medium density, rather fine-textured easy to Anon a Anona sp. Anonaceac work, not durable. Not utilized. (Yale Nos. 3671 , 8835.) (See 'l'. ~f onia globulijtra I.. (. Gutciferae Guarno In:a Rodrigun.iana Pirtier Lcguminosae Pimienrillo Guamomacho In: a Rttordii Britt. & Rose Lcguminosae Pino Pinus spp. Pinaceae Guanacnste Enterolobium cyclocarpum (Swartz) Pito or piton Erytbrina rubrinrrTio H. B. K. Lcguminosac Gris. Lcguminosae Plumajillo Scbi~lobium porobybum (Veil.) Blake Leguminosac Guapinol HJmmiza Courbari/L. Lcguminosae Quin a Hasstltia mtxi' TREES" Moro ftuararibta asterokpis Pi rcier Bombacaceae The new species of Couma (see pp. 8, 13) adds another to l\·aranjo 'fmninalio obouata (R. & P.) Eich! . Combrctaceae Nispero ilcbras Chick P itrier Sapotaceae the list of so-called "cow trees." The first, a Brosimum Ocotc Pinus oiicarpa Schiedc Pmaccae (Moraceae), was discovered in Venezuela by Alexander von Pal:inco Anoxagoreo guaumalensis Stand!. Anonaceae Humboldt 125 years ago. Richard Spruce found another, a Palet.1 Dialium diuoritatum Yahl Lcguminosae Mimusops (Sapotaceae), in Para, Brazil. Dr. Pittier says Palma de coco Coeus 11ucifera L. Palmaceac (Las plantas usualu de //mezuda, p. 394) that the sweet and Palma de coroza Allalto Cobunt Morris Palmaceae Palm:i de manaca i111alea Cobunt Morris Palmaccae palatable latex of Couma sapida Pittier deserves serious l'.ilma real Ortodoxo rtgia H. B. K. Palmaceae study as a possible substitute for the milk of mammals. l'ol!o ch100 Burstra Simoruba (L.) Sarg. Burseraccae TROPICAL WOODS No. 7 No.7 TROPICAL WOODS 31 JO the hot sun bleach the wood so quickly that the treatment NATIVE WOODS USED FOR RAIL\\"AY CROSSTIES a~ds .o~ly about a year to the life of the sleeper. The woods IN BRITISH HONDURAS w1.th tmt1al lower water content appear to be less brittle when By G. W. E. FRANCIS, Superintmdmt, dned and to absorb the preservative more readilr than the British Honduras Railway o~hers. In the hinterland these woods last 37'f or 4 years During the construction of the Government Railway in without treatment and 4 to 5 years when treated. Nearer to Stann Creek, British Honduras, some 16 years ago, use was t~e co.ast where the.humidity is less, untreated ties, if properly made of creosoted Norwegian pine crossties or sleepers. a1r:dned before betng put in the track, last 47'f or 5 years, while of those treated a large percentage last or 6 years. Jn x914 these were replaced in the older sections of the line 5 by ties of native woods and since then no sleepers have been In the sections ~f line where the g~ound is continually damp and shaded, especially on curves without rail braces and far imported. inland, the ties sometimes rot earlier through being "nail­ The gauge of the railway is 3 feet, and the rails are 40 lbs. killed" (" spi~e-killed "). Thes~ "nail-killed" sleepers will standard, flat bottom, 30 feet long. The road bed is bal­ pr~bably last.Just ~bout two-thirds as long as those ties in lasted over the whole length of miles. Traffic consists of 25 which the nails (spikes) were not "pulled" and the rail re­ three trains (up to 200 tons total weight each) on an average spiked. These very damp sections are more conducive to per. week, motor and pump cars the whole time, and freight fungous growth on the sleepers. trams for the local timber contractors once or twice daily My Lady and Bullhoof are very brittle when matured. to~ards .the end of the dry season. It is expected that logging Should the nails be drawn from sleepers of these woods after trams will be more frequent during the next few years while the first two years they will certainly be" nail-killed." When a large lumber company is operating at the head of the line. these woods are very dry they absorb much moisture during About 15 miles of track are on the level coastal plain which the wet season and become so brittle in the succeeding drv has ~een freed from for~st growth and extensively cultivated, weather that, if not properly packed with ballast directly u~­ and is consequently dner than the 10 miles running up into der the rails and" shoulders," they invariably break under the the hills and the bush, where the rainfall is about 100 inches pressure of the rolling stock. per annum. Waika Chewstick is fairlv durable and when fully mature F~llowing i~ a s_ummary of the observations to d ate. More holds well in the track, lasting often as long as ~argusta and deta1le~ ex~mmat1ons are under way. Yemeri. The sapwood contains more water than Santa Maria .Sta~~mg m July, 1914, six native woods were selected for or Nargusta, though the heart has a comparatively small trial. l h~se were made from young poles having a hear twood water content and tends to become brittle with age and to of 5 t? 6 inches and were cut into ties 7 feet by 7 U to 8 inches break in the same way as My Lady and Bullhoof. by 6 inches. A few sleepers made from Banak and native Cypress have . It was found that the water content of Santa Marfa been used during the last year or two, but no check on their '\.;argusta, and Salmwood was less than in W aika Chewstick: durability has been made. They are, however, still in good 1'.!y L~dy, and Bullhoof, and later that Ridge R edwood and condition. 1 eme;1 could be classed with the first three, both on a basis It is thought that better results would be obtained if the of mmsture content and freedom from becoming brittle with sleepers were sawn to size from mature timber instead of being age. hewn from small poles, as the proportion of heartwood would ~11 the tics f,e air-dried under shelters along the railside for be greater. It is a noticeable feature of all the woods used that hen~ 1 5 up ~o ~ur months. A brush treatment of preservative those cut on the" broken ridge" are harder and more resistant as een tned tn several instances, but the heavy rains and No. 7 32 TROPICAL WOODS No.7 TROPICAL WOODS 33 than those grown on richer soil. They have a s1!1aller water content, Jess sap in the mature tree, a~d. the ~ber IS firmer and NOTE ON "ARBOLOCO" more set. The wood from the richer soil invanably .commences to decay earlier than the wood from the broken ndge. By SIDNEY F. BLAKE Atmospheric conditions in this valley put a severe test on In :tropical Woods (2: 3, June 1925) editorial mention is all woods and the great changes of r:1oisture and heat c?ntrib­ made of the description by M. T. DA WE ("Account of a ute largely to the early deterioration of any woods with the journey through the western portion of Colombia. Publ. by,,Col. possible exceptions of Ironwood, Axemaster, Cortez, Black Bu. Inf. and Trade Propaganda, London, 1919, P· 10 ~ of Bullet Tree and Black Sapodilla. These have not been used "arboloco" a Colombian tree identified as Montanoa Morttzt­ as sleepers ~s the cost of extraction has hitherto been pro­ ana Sch. 'Bip. The writer has recently studied material, hibitive. borrowed from the Kew Herbarium, collected by Mr. Dawe, Following is a rough classi fication of the woods in use, and finds it to be not M. Moritziana (a nomen nudum, synonymous with M. quadrangularis Sch. Bip.), but the together with their botanical names: 1 Santa Maria Calopbyllum Calaba Jacq. closely related Montanoa Lebmannii (Hieron.) Blake. ~he Nargusta :ferm inalia obovata (R. & P.) Eichl. herbarium label describes it as a "tree about 30 ft. high ] Salmwood Cordia Gerascanthus L. confined to volcanic lands north of Manizales in Caldas. Ridge Redwood Mosqu ito:~ylum j amaicense K. & U. Timber is very durable and is used for beams in the constru7- Yemeri (heart only) Pochysia hondurensis Sprague. tion of buildings, for making billiard cues, etc. !he bole is hollow, but the timber has a great reputation for its strength Waika Chewstick Symphonia globulifera L.f. and durability, notwithstanding." . . . In his note on this subject, Prof. Record descnpt1on II My Lady Aspidosperma megalocarpon Muell. gives~ of a specimen of the wood "arbol?co" from Bo­ Bullhoof ?Drypetes sp. .o[ s~nt h~m gota, accompanied by frumng specimens 1dent1fi~d by the NOT YET CLASSED present writer as a species of Montanoa. He cons1~ered the Banak Virola merendonis Pittier wood "so plain and ordinary" in appearance th~t .1 t seemed Cypress Podocarpus coriaceus Rich. unlikely to be of value for the manufacture of btlhar~ cues. The specimen examined was not hollow, but had a pith an inch and a half thick. OUTCOME OF " PHILIPPINE M AHOGANY" CASE The genus Montanoa is chiefly Mexican, but at least four On July I 5, 1926, the Federal Trade Commission (U.S. A.) species occur in the elevated regions of northwestern South ordered that the respondents (Thomas E. Powe Lumber Co., America from Venezuela and Colombia to northern Pe:u· Indiana Quartered Oak Co., and Jones Hardwood Co.) "do The co~monest one in herbaria is M. ovalifolia DC., which cease and desist from advertising or selling or offering for sale, ranges from Colombia to northern Peru and appears to be under the term 'Mahogany,' ' Philippine Mahogany,' or any common about Bogota, where it has been collected by M:. other term of similar import, woods known under the com­ Dawe (No. 300, in Kew Herb.) as well as ,?Y others;, It is •mon b or trade' names, 'redlauan , ' ' tanguile,' ' narra )'' apitong,' probable that the specimen of the ~ood of arboloco sup­ ataan, 'lamao,' 'almon,' 'orion' 'batang' 'bagaac,' plied by Mr. Jorge Pinz6n de Castilla from Bogota .~as of 'bata k' , and 'balacbacan,' or any o'th er wood, , lumber, or this species, and it may well be that M. Lebmanntt has a wood products, unless such wood or lumber or the wood from which such products are made is derived' from trees of the 1 BLAKE, Journ. Wa;hing1011 Acad. Sci. 16: ~16. 1916. Mahogany or ~eliaceae famil/ " TROPICAL WOODS No. 7 TROPICAL WOODS 35 different trunk and wood. Montanoa quadrangulari.r Sch. Bip. (of which M. Moritziana Sch. Bip. and Montagntea CURRENT LITERATURE e.~u/sa Ernst are synonyms) occurs in Colombia (?), in Mahogany-Antique and modem. A study of its history and Merida, and even as far east as Gali pan, near Caracas, whence use in the decorative arts. Edited by W1LLIAM FARQUHAR came the type Montagn<8a excelsa. The latter, known as PAYSON:. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 1926. Pp. "tara blanca," was described by Ernst as a tree up to 12. 154+xx11; 8,U x 13; 250 pp. of half-tone plates. Price '/>I 5. meters high and 20 to 30 cm. thick, with spongy wood and This magnificent volume makes its appeal to architects, very thick pith. Owing to the weakness of the trunks they are interior decorators, furniture manufacturers and craftsmen, often shattered by the wind at a height of 4 or 5 meters and also to laymen interested in traditional decorative designs whereupon there spring from the root a great number of and to the practical application of these designs to present­ sprouts which soon attain considerable size. As Ernst makes day living conditions. no re~erence to any useful application of the tree, it is probable The first chapter, "In the forest," is by the editor, and his that 1t has none. descriptions of the tree and of the logging operations are Most of the Mexican and Central American species of the supplemented by many telling illustrations. genu~ are shrubs. M. hexagona Rob. & Greenm., of Chiapas, is "Mahogany and the cabinet-maker of today" is the con­ descnbed as.a large tree, and M. Rekoi Blake, of Oaxaca, as a tribution of Mr. Karl Schmieg, for years one of the leading large tre~ with a . trunk 0.5 meter thick, and corklike bark. craftsmen of England, today perhaps the foremost cabinet­ ~ t co?tams a rosm or camphor-like substance which burns maker in America. His chapters on "The preparation of the like pitch. wood," "The nature of mahogany," and "The working and finishing of the wood" serve as a manual of highest authority. "Mahogany in architecture" is the work of Mr. Kenneth COR RECTIO N° M. Murchison. There are four chapters: "Noteworthy In "Notes on Cu?an woods" (Cf'ropical Woods 6: 12), the English interiors," "Decorative treatment in France," statement that Jumperus saxicola Britton & Wilson may be "Colonial architecture in the United States," and "Mahog­ on}f a form of J. lucayana Britton was an editorial mistake any in modern use." The home builder finds a wealth of in­ ansmgh .from a comb·mat1on · o f two separate memoranda on formation in text and wdl-chosen illustrations. t e ~bJec:. Prof. Le6n writes that he considers the former Mr. Henry B. Culver, author of Cfbe Book of Old Ships, species vahd · that it g · h h' h . . contributes the part entitled, "Struc~r~l a~,d decora~1ve M > rows in t e ig ridges of the Sierra athestra and should not be confused with the "sabinas" uses in marine architecture and boat-bmldmg. The earliest 0 f known use of mahogany by civilized man had to do with ships e coastal . lands and h'ig hl an d s, as s·i erra de N1pe.. These coast al and highland " b' ,, and from the time that Hernando Cortez, the conqueror of r d sa mas are the ones which are be- Mexico, repaired his vessels with that timber. betwee? the 1epe fto represent a single species, j. lucayana. ro . 1eon also states th t "d ,, . . h years 1521 and r 540, mahogany _has proved its m:rit ~or th a agame 1s pronounced wit frames and planking of wooden ships, as well as for interior e accent on the second syllable, rather than on the first. The erroneous pronu · ti · . . trim of modern vessels. . . ,, upon auth · h' hncia o~ given in the article was made There is a short article on "The piano and its pr~~otypes_ on ty w ic the ed1 tor considered reliable. by Frances Morris, and a much longer one _on Historic furniture styles" by Mr. Charles O~er Cornelius. Both.au­ thors are Associate Curators, American Art, ~etropohtan The subscription pr' f CT' • • ear fr be tee O ~ ropual Woods 1s One Dollar per Museum of Art, New York City. "The furniture of the Y o 1our num rs. TROPICAL WOODS No.7 J6 No. 7 TROPICAL WOODS 37 present day " is by Mr. Ra!ph E~skine. Here, as elsewhere, the text is beautifully and lavishly 11Justrated. and staining. It is hoped that a sawmill and dry kiln can be The two appendices include a "Technical description of bought next year, and experiments carried on to produce mahogany" and "Architectural _hints on mahogany," the 'gommier' !umber for construction purposes, era ting material, and other uses to replace imported pine. E"·entually, with latter by !\Ir. Kenneth M. Murchison. improved transportation facilities, the pine regions should suppl}' goodly amounts of rough lumber. Forestry in Haiti. By WM. R. B ARBOUR. Yale Fores/ School "During the ten remaining years of the American occupa­ Neu:s 14: 3: 44-45, July 1926. tion, if appropriations continue adequate, it is hoped that "In 1924 the Service T echnique, a Department of Agricul­ great progress in forestry can be made. The silvicultural ture for the Republic, was organized under the direction of problems are complex, and there are few available data, but Doctor Geo. F. Freeman, and an American staff was assem­ tropical rotations are so short that exact data on growth and bled, including a chemist, a plant pathologist, an entomolo­ silvicultural requirements can be obtained much quicker than gist, a veterinarian, a horticulturalist, etc., their duties in temperate regions. Haiti is centrally located in the Carib­ falling under the direction of a Director of Agronomy and a bean region, with a flora representative of the entire region Director of Agricultural Teaching. from Venezuela to Florida and from the Leeward Islands to " In January, 1925, a Division of Silviculture was formed Mexico, so that data obtained here will be applicable over a wide territory. This is especially true on account of the widely with the wri ter _as _Director, and in February practical work varying topographic, soil, and climatic conditions. From a ~egan. Appropnattons totalled $25,000 which included both forester's viewpoint, there probably is no more interesting E•orestry and the introduction of sisal." region in all tropical America than the backward, but po­ '.'The firs t s t~p in forestry proper was to make a recon­ tentially rich and important, Republic of Haiti." naissance of th~ island and study the existing species, the soil, topography, rainfall, and other factors. This has not been Arbol del balsamo, Toluifera Pereirae (Klotzch) Balli. By completed, but a great part of the republic has been covered, MAXJMINO 1\-lARTisEz. Bolet1n de la Dirucion de Estudios partly on foot, part by automobile, part on horseback, and Biol6gicos (Mexico) 3: 3: 49- 51, !\lay 1926. some of the least accessi~le portions by aeroplane. The latter Contains a description of the tree which produces the so­ proven especially valuable in preliminary work." m~~h~ ~.as called "balsam of Peru," the various common names, . . H a1~1 s commercial development has been so retarded that methods of collecting the balsam, the uses of the material, It is believed that forestry work has been begun in time to analyses of the balsam, brief history, and bibliography. prod.uce _me rchantable timber when needed. Fast growing species li ke wattle can produce firewood in seven years A.mapa prieta. By JESUS GONZALEZ 0RTECA. Mexico Fores/al ~~!ore a~y s~or t age of fuel is apt to develop. It is not believed 4: 3-4: 31-35, l\1ar.- Apr. 19z6. t H a1.t1 will eve~ have to import firewood, as do the sugar The" amapa prieta" (taxonomy of the beeches. Progress report on forest administration in Jammu and By L. CoxAYNE. Bul. No. 4, N. Z. State Forest Service, Kas~ State fo~ the Sambat year 1981 (1924-1925). By Wellington, 1926. Pp. 71; 6 x 9~; figs. 44; '.2 maps. Price 4s. H. L. " RIGHT . _Snnagar, 1925. Pp. 53 + il; 7 x io; 8 half­ A valuable contribution, comprehensive in scope and lucid tone plates; 4 diagrams. in presentation. Beech (Notbofagus) forests now form by far Thi~ is ~ substantially bound, fairly well-printed, and the larger part of New Zealand's national forest wealth. splendidly illu st~a ~ed r~port covering the various activities "Up to recent years the timber furnished by the New Zealand beeches has been but little used-and even yet its employment of th~ forest administration for the year ending April 12, 1925. T_his report bears ample testimony to the difficulties be­ is quite local-owing to the superabundance of kauri and the various taxads. But with the rapid decrease in the supply of setbn~ f~ res t operations in that portion of India and to the these timbers it stands out clearly that no species of value can u1:1rem1ttm_g eff?rts to overcome them. One is impressed anew long remain unused, and it is well known that the wood of the with the diversity of the factors involved in successful forest beeches possesses many excellent qualities and can be utilized management and the variet y of interests affected. The bet­ in a variety of ways. Further, ... beech forests regenerate terment of. co~di tions for the people of the region is kept well and with fairly satisfactory rapidity, which can be greatly constantly Jn view, and the best interests of those dependent increased by forestry methods. . . . Before many years elapse uyon the forests a; e c_arefull y considered. T he report is full beech timber will be in constant demand, so it is urgent to o refi(erences of this kmd, one of which may be cited as fol­ accumulate as soon as possible the data upon which the suc­ lows p. 41) : cessful management of beech forests depends." h"~ndirectly , too, the resin industry is a valuable asset to Five species of Notbofagus are considered valid, namely, t e ~ate tnd to part of its people, for it provides employ­ N. Menziesii (Hook. f.) Oerst., N. fusca (Hook. f.) Oerst., mde;.t in P ~~es where the zamindar has few opportunities of N. truncata (Col.) Cockayne, N. Solandri (Hook. f.) Oerst., a 1~g t? m.s scanty income, and where many of the people and N. cli.f!ortioides (Hook. f.) Oerst. The ~ommon names for are ea~i 1hy in ~ebt, and enables even boys to earn a living the species are silver beech, red beech, clinker beech, blac~ awagend d wit ou· t dinterferi . ng w·it h t he1r · ordina· ry agricultural beech, and mountain beech, respectively. There are also van- work ::~s.tic h rt!es. In teaching these people t he value of ous hybrids. . . le c ' d m fe pmg them to overcome their inherent indo- The work is divided into five sections: (1) Introduction, n e aDn to ree t~emselves from the burden of debt the (2) Classification of the beeches, (3) The distribution in New Forest epartmen t is pl · . , the moral and h . aymg ai:i important part in improving Zealand of the species of Notbofagus, (4) The ecology and f h J P Y~tcal well-being of the people of this part classification of the beech forests, and (5) Summary of the o t e am mu province." TROPICAL WOODS No. 7 No. 7 TROPICAL WOODS 45 preceding sections. Th~ mo!1ograph is in t ~·o parts, t1~e present consisting of several tiers of vegetation; (6) woody lianes " having the purely sc1ent1fic aspect. as its t~eme,_ ~art II, (climbing plants) abound, often making entanglements; (7) not yet issued, "dealing with its practical bearings, s1lv1culture epiphytes (perching plants), some of them shrubs, some and matters pertaining thereto being discu.s se~ .' ' potential trees, are frequently a strikin.g feature; (8) n:osses, FolJowing is a very interesting characterization of the New liverworts, and filmy ferns, all sometimes of great size for Zealand forest in general (p. 7) : "The New Zealand forest, as these classes of plants, cover wide breadths of the forest-Aoor a whole, belongs to that ecological class known as 'rain­ and the numerous rotting logs and drape the tree-trunks; forest,' its presence and continuance depending on ~requent (9) some trees have strong buttresses at the base, which may rainy days occurring at all seasons of the year. In its most be plank-like; (10) the roots of the trees extend far horizon­ characteristic form it closely resembles the forest of wet tally and are often raised above the surface of the ground; tropical regions in its physiognomy, structure, and growth­ (II) there are very few bulbous or true herbaceous plant_s; forms- so much so, indeed, that more than one visiting ( l 2) huge tussocks made of sedges. are often present in botanist, of wide travel, has declared that it is as tropical in quantity; (13) small bryophytes and lichens frequently occur aspect as the rain-forest of J ava. The forests possessing this as epiphytes on leaves of trees." extreme tropical stamp may be called 'subtropical rainjorest' or 'rainjorest proper,' fo r short. Such consist, so far as the tall trees go, of more or less taxads or the kauri, together with Rubber production in Africa. By H. N. WHITFORD and many broad-leaved dicotylous trees, or both kauris and ALFRED A~THONY. Trade Promotion Series No. 34, U. S. taxads may be absent. Bu t there is another class of forest-at Dept. of Commerce, Washington, D. C., 1926. Pp. 136; the present time the most extensive-where one or more of the 6 x 9; map. Price 25c. species of Notbofagus (beech) is dominant and t he special This is the fifth of a series of publications on crude rub?er rain-forest characteristics are less in evidence. As such forest issued under authority of the Sixty-seventh Congress, w~1ch is ecologically eq uivalent to that of the extreme south of appropriated funds for the. ill\'estigation of raw materials South America on the west and T ierra del Fuego, I am here whoJJy or largely under foreign control. . . h calling it ' subantarctic rainjorest.' Between the two classes "Up to 191'2 Africa stood second to South Amer_1ca mt e there are all manner of intermediates, but in what follows, amount of rubber supplied for. world consumpti~ns. ~he 1 6 though the latter are not neglected, it is Nothofagus forest continent reached its maximum m the yea: ?° wit~ s p- . tons Again m i910 it pro- proper which is the main theme. ments amountmg to over 2o,ooo · . d I duced this amount, but since then there has been a gdra Tuha " It is the special characteristics, now to be brief! y explained, . . . b tons were exporte · e 192 2500 which distinguish these rain-forests of ours, that make their reduction until 111 2 a out . 2 different intensive study essential for the development of one im portant total African production was contributed by some 5 oli tical units." · f the feature of New Zealand forestry- the indigenous forests­ P " h d . t of transportatton ac1·1· ltles, · and mark it not only as distinct from that of E urope, but of F rom t e s.tan porn f f G inea are the most favorably far greater complexity. countries bordering the Gui 0 h u tal lands of these coun­ "These special characteristics are as follows : ( r) The trees situated. Int general, however, t e c~as t. on hence the need of tries are not suitable to Hevea pro uc ts m' eans of access are and shrubs, with but one or two exceptions, are evergreen; (2) · · I ome instance there are usually many different species of trees; (3) colonies of access to the mtenor. n s and by railways and already supplied by navigabl~ str:i:s territory not yet de­ tall tree-ferns with huge leaves, far-extending horizontally, 0 are abundant ; {4) smaller ferns occur in the greatest profu­ motor roads. However, ml~c d ew access facilities." veloped agriculturally wou nee n sion; (5) there is an extremely dense undergrowth, frequently No.7 46 TROPICAL WOODS No. 7 TROPICAL WOODS 47 Up to about 1910 practically all of the rubber that. was brown ~ood, fairly soft, fine-textured, of moderate weight gathered came from wild plants-trees, shrubs, and vines, and plam. appearance. Recommended for local use for light mostly of the family Apocynaceae. They are of such a nature constructional and other work where great strength is not that the cheapest method of collecting the latex is to destroy essential and to replace imported softwoods employed for such the plants, and m~ny of the old regions are no longer in posi- purposes. tion to produce wild rubber: . The pulp, though well-reduced, did not bleach readilv and Plantations of various kmds of plants producing rubber gave a cream-colored opaque paper of fair strength and were started on an experimental scale during the first decade quality. Av. fiber length 1.6 mm. of the present century, but were largely abandoned during ~- Afara (

TROPICAL WOODS

NUMBER 8 DECEMBER 1, 1926

CONTENTS Pa1u• The publication of this journal is made possible Tropical Arboretum in the Canal Zone 1 by a gift to Yale University from the Termite Resistance Tests at Panama 2 By THOS. E. SNYDER UNITED FRUIT COMPANY Three New Species of Central American Trees 4 By PAUL C. STANDLEY A New Albizzia of British Honduras 7 Promoting Forestry by Radio in Brazil 7 "Amepa" for Interior Trim and Flooring 8 By EMANUEL FRITZ Some llex Woods without Spiral Elements 9 The •• Manwood" of Panama 1o The Wood of Saurauia villosa De Candolle 11 The Wood of Krugiodendron ferreum {Vahl) Urban 13 The Wood of Koeberlinla spinosa Zuccarini t 5 Notes on Tropical African Trees 17 By JOSEPH BURTT DAVY .,Flowers of the Brazilian Rosewood" - A Correction 18 Current Literature 19 Yale University School of Forestry

TROPICAL WOODS

NUMBER 8 December 1, 1926

A technical joumol devoted to the f urtberance of knowledge of tropical woods and forests and lo the promotion ofJorestry in tbe Tropics. '!'be editqr of this pu/JlicaJion and the writer of any articles therein, tbt auJbor. ship of wbi,b is not otherwise indicated, is SAMVEL J. RECORD, Projessqr of F&rest Products in rate Uniuer1ity. Subscription price One Dollar per year of four numbers. Single copus 25 cents. Address all communications to the editor, 205 Prospect Strut, New Ha~en, Connecticut, U. S. A.

TROPI CAL ARBORETUM IN THE CANAL ZO~E In July, 1923, the Panama Canal initiated the establishment in the Canal Zone of a center for the gathering together of all tropical trees of economic value. Although the time has been short very appreciable strides haYe already been taken toward the ultimate goal, and the botanical gardens now comprise an area of approximately 200 acres and contain about a thousand species. I n many cases the introduced plants have made a very remarkable growth. Five shade houSt!S provide shelter for thousands of young plants, which are being propagated for planting in their permanent locations on the grounds and also for distribution to all sections of the Isthmus of Panama. The results of such distribution are becoming very noticeable in many places. T he site of the gardens was originally jungle, requiring clear­ ing and the construction of roads. ~hile this de".'eloi;menr work is proceeding gradually, effort 1s made to mamtam the 1 TROPICAL WOODS ~o. 8 :-Jo. 8 T ROPICAL WOODS 3 tree plantings in botanically classified plots. !he important chemicals prepared by the U. S. Chemical Warfare Service trees and shrubs are labeled, and an attract1,·e handbook, (including halogens), sprayed metal, waxes, and waste prod­ with map and descriptions, has been prepared by '.\Ir. Holgcr ucts from the manufacture of Cnitcd States lumber. Johansen, Agronomist. . . . demonstration termite-proof building, constructed In a few vears the constantlv increasing collections will ~model entirely or woo~s and pulp or fiber products impregnated with prove of the' highest usefulness ·to all inte~ested ~n tropic~ ! preservatives, 1s located near chesc service tests. arboriculture and forestry. The gardens are ma strictlr tr?p1- Among the untreated woods are United States grown woods, cal region, located on territory controlled by the United nati,·e woods of Panama, etc. States of America, and readily accessible from everpvhere-a Already three preliminary n::ports ha\'c been made on the combination of circumstances exceptionally favorable to the condi tion of these tests by l\1r. James Zetek, resident custo­ success of the undertaking. . dian of Barro Colorado Island. It is hoped to continue and It is to be hoped that the important start already m~de will enlarge these tests to cover a period of at least 10 years. receive from the tropical forestry world the financial and In addition to obtaining data on the best preservatives for moral support necessary for the realization of an urgent need use in the tropics for wood and wood products, not only in - a great Arboretum in the American Tropics. contact with the ground but for interior finish, termite-re­ sistant woods will be discovered that can be used as veneer in the manufacture of furniture for sale in the tropics. T he TERMITE RESISTANCE TESTS AT PANAMA termite-proof building should convince builders that United By THos. E. SNYDER, Entomologist States grown woods properly treated with preser\'atives are effective in the tropics. Bureau of Entomology , U. S. Department of Agriculture Certain species of termites ~Cop~otennes) ?issoke ~nd On February 26, 1924, the Federal Bureau of Entomology penetrate lime morta ~ ben~een bnc~s ~n foun?at1ons an.cl l.1me began at Panama a series of tests as to the relative effective­ concrete. I n cooperation with the ~ auonal Lime l\ssoc1atton, ness of va rious preservatives in protecting wood, wood pulp, a series of 16 test walls of brick and mortar and concrete ha\'e and fiber boards against attack by termites. In addition to the been constructed at Falls Church, Va., in the termite test tests of treated woods, the relative resistance to termite at­ plot. Degrees of slaking and differe~t percen.tag~s of lime are tack of a series of untreated tropical American woods is being being tested to find the most effcctl\'e combmat1on. .. tested. It is hoped to duplicate these tests at Honolulu, Hawau, These tests are located on Barro Colorado Island in Gatun and at Panama. Lake, Canal Zone, Panama, through the courtesy of the In­ sti tute for Research in Tropical America, whose Panama sta­ NoTE: The editor of 'fropical Woods wishes .to ob ~ai n as tion is located in this island jungle. much information as possible regarding the term1te.-res1stance The termite fauna on this island is rich and consists of 30 of woods and invites correspondents to report their observa­ species, representing three families and including species both subterranean and non-subterranean in habit, i.e., those that tions to him. attack wood indirectly through the ground and directly, not from the ground. Among the preservatives tested are creosotes, various soluble salts (such as chlorides, fluorides), a series of war-time No. 8 4 TROPICAL WOODS ~o. 8 TROPICAL WOODS 5 THREE NEW SP ECI ES OF CE~TRAL A\1 ERI C:\~ acter that I do not find attribu ted to any other representative TREES of the genus. T he tree is frequent on Barro Colorado Island, and is B)' PAt:L c. STA:'\DLEY l known as " carano," a name applied in Central America and Of all Central America, one of the regions least known northern South America to other species of the genus. The botanicalh· is British Honduras, whose flora, if we may judge tree at once attracts 'attention because of the fact that from by the scanty material a\'ailable for ~t~dy' must include wo~nds i!' its trunk it exudes large quantities of a balsam or many interesting species. It is not surpnsmg, t~ereforc, that resin, which has a penetrating, agreeable, and distinctive odor. collections made rccentl\' in that country haYe yielded several A large deposit of the scmi-liciuid balsam frequently may be new species of trees, or{e of which, a d.istinct ·n~w Bownria found at the base of the trunk. I was informed by a native (Boraginaceac) is described here. It was found Ill one of the guide that in Panama this resin is gathered and sold. It is sendings of tree specimens made this year to P rof. Samuel J. used probably for incense, like the resins furnished by other Record by l\1r. II. \\'. Winzerling, of the Belize Estate and members of this family. Produce Company, who has contributed substantially by his work of exploration and collection to our knowledge of the Christiania africana DC. British Honduras fl ora. This species is a quite unexpected addition to the flora of There is described here also a new Vite)t.' (Verbenaceae) Central America. Specimens have been collected in British collected in the Atlantic lowlands of Guatemala by l\1r. Henry Honduras by H . W. \\'inzcrling ("'.'\o. IIl- 7), who reports the Kuylen, of the United Fruit Company, who has made an vernacular name as "palo mulato." The plant is a tree with important collection of trees in that region. I have included light brown wood, the large long-petioled rounded-0vate the description of a new Burseraceous tree found by myself leaves deeply cordate at base, the small flowers arranged in this year in the Canal Zone. It belongs to a family noted for panicled cymes. the production of important gums and resins. The genus Christiania consists of two species, one of which is endemic in :\ladagascar. T he other, C. africana, grows in P rotium asperum Standl., sp. nov. central Africa, Congo, and St!negambia, and in northern Brazil and British Guiana. T here are several other well­ •.\ rbor 10--:.0 m. :i lra; folta magna, pcciolo JO cm. longo, scabro, subtus con~·cxo, ~upra late canalicularo, rhach.i aequilonga; foliolis oppositis, 6. known plants which have a similar distribution, indicating, jugis, petiolulis \·alidis, circ. 8 mm. longis; foliolorurn lamina oblonga vel late according to the views of some writers, a former land connec­ oblonga, 1~4 cm. longa, 5-j cm. lata, abruptc ct brevitcr acuminata, basi tion between eastern South America and western Africa. This obtusa et :.aepe subobliqua, coriacea, subnitida, intcgra vel ~ ubund ulat:i, tree is likely to he found along the coast between British utrinquc punctulis minutis scaberrima, costa valida, ncrvis lateralibus utrinquc circ. 30, subrus prominenabus; inftorescentia in statu fructifero Honduras and the Guianas. paniculata, mulriftora, pcdunculo 5 cm. longo, panicula 14 cm. longa, rhachi angulata, scaberula, pcdicellis angulatis, 5· 11 mm. longis; fructus Bourreria mollis Stancil., sp. nov. obovoidco-globosus, 1 cm. longus, glaber, subnitidus. T ype in the U S. National Herbarium, Nos. t , 151, 938'"939, collected in Arbor, ramulis teretibus, dense \•dutino.pubcscenti~us ; perio~ 8- 1S. m_m. wet forest on Barro Colorado Island in Gatun Lake, Canal Zone, Panama, longi pilis brevibus divaricatis dense pubcscentes; fohorum larmna cllipcca November, 1915, by Paul C. Standley (No. 411 61). vcl o~a li.clli ptica, 6-8.5 cm. longa, J·5-S·5 cm: ~ata, abrupte ll~t~ ~cl s~pc · obtusa vcl late cuneata supra mttdll et obscure vmd1s, pnmo o b tusa, bas1 · ' ·i· · · d' · · This species is remarkable for the scabrous leaves, a char- in nervis mi nute pilosa sed mox gl11brnta, su~tus p1 is n~inut1s 1v~ncat1s cinereis dense vclutino-pubcscens; cymae terminates, paua· vel multtflorae,

1 Published by permi~ion of the Secretary of the Smithsonian I nstitution. TROPICAL WOODS No. 8 6 No. 8 TROPICAL WOODS 7 pcdunculatnc, ca. 4 cm. latac, ramulis dense tomcntosis; flores scssilcs vcl brcvipcdiccllati; calyx anguste campanulatus, 5 mm. longus, minute dcnscque A NEW ALBIZZIA OF BRITISH HOXDURAS cincrco-tomcntosus, lobis plcrumque 3, triangularibus vel rotundato-ovatis, While on the lands of the Belize Estate and Produce Com­ obtusis vcl acutiusculis, tubo multo brcvioribus; corolla alba, tubo calyccm P~.ny la~t winter, the edito.r, in company with ~Ir. H. \\'. paulo o ccdcntc, in partc supcriore z.5-3 mm. crasso, glabro, !obis oblongo­ ovntis, divaricatis, 5 mm. longis, apicc rotundatis, cxtus puherulis; antherac "'' mzerhng, collected botanical and wood specimens from a oblongac, 'l mm. longae; filamenra glabra, cxserta, 5-6 mm. longa; stylus young tree ~ocally kno~rn as Wild Tamarind, a name applied 4 mm. longus, ramulis z mm. longis, stigmatibus disciformibus. also to specie~ ~f Acaoa. L~tcr i~ the season ~Ir. Winzerling Type in the U. S. ~a tio nal Herbarium, :\"o. 1, 266, 030, collected in Bri tish colle~ted additional material. 1 hese specimens have been Honduras in 1926 by H. \\'. \\i nzerling (No. lll-12). studied by Dr. Xathanicl Lord Britton, Director-in-Chief Related to the l\lexican B. A ndrieu:di (DC.) Hems!. , but New York Botanical Garden, and Dr. J. N. Rose, Associat~ that species is described as having hispidulous filaments and Curator, Division of Plants, l'. S. National Museum and they consider the tree a new species of .11/bizzia. Their 5-lobed calyccs. de~crip­ The British Honduras tree is said to be known by the tion is as follows: names "opay," "bt:h-eck," and "roble." Albizzia Hummeliana Britt. & Rose, sp. nov.

Vitex Kuylenii Stand!., sp. nov. ~ small (?) tree, the twip:s angled, pubcrulent. Leaves 10-12 cm. long; pcnole z-4 cm. long, pubcrulent, bc:iring a l:irge oblong, sessile gland near its Arbor, ramulis obtuse angulatis, obscure brunneis, lenticellis plurimis middle; pinnae 5 pairs; leaflets 9 ·12 pairs, oblong, 7- 12 mm. long, obruse, linearibus notaris, sp:irsc pubcrulis; pcrioli 5-6 mm. longi, semitcretes, glabrous above, strongly nerved and pubcrulent beneath; inflorescence gracilcs, pubcruli; foliola plcrumquc 5, brevipctiolulata, elliptica, lnnccolato­ paniculate; peduncles slender, z cm. or less long, pubcrulent; Bowers in small clliptica vel obovato-clliptica, innequalia, 7-14 cm longa, 3-6.5 cm. la ta, heads, pediccled; calyx 1.5 mm. long, pubcrulent, with minute teeth; corolla brcvirer acuminata, acumine obtuso, basi cuneatim acuta, integrn, tenui a, 3-4 mm. long, glabrous except the tips of the lobes; stamens numerous, short, lnete ,;ridia, ad nervos minutissime pubcrula, alibi glabra; inflorcscentiae axil­ the sheath included; ovary densely velvety; pod 11-11 cm. long, 18 mm. larc:>, longipcdunculatae, thyrsiformi-paniculatae, laxe multiftorae, pcdun­ broad, acute, but not apiculate at :ipcx, cuneatc at base, glabrous. culis 8-r 1 cm. longis, paniculis 6-11 cm. longis, ca. 3 cm. latis, rnmulis Collected by Samuel J. Record near Hill Bank, :--:cw River Lagoon, British lateralibus S mm . longis vcl brevioribus; pcdicelli graciles, 2-5 mm. longi, Honduras, Jan. z6, 1926 (Yale :-=o. 8795), and by Harry\\'. Winzcrling, 1926. pubcruli; bracteolae minutae, deciduae, bracteis linearibus, 1.5-3 mm. Type in U.S. !'\ational Herbarium, !\o. 1, 209, 912. longis; calycis tubus campanulatus, 2.5 mm. longus, pubcrulu~. !obis 5 Named in honor of ~Ir. C. Hummel, 1\lanager, Belize Estate and Produce angusre triangulari--0blongis, tubo paulo brevioribus, divaricati~ vcl rcllexis, Company, and formerly Conservator of Forests of British Honduras. acutiusculis; corolla exrus sparse pubcrula, tubo 6 mm. longo, 3.5 mm. crasso, limho ca. 14 mm. lato, in faucc villoso; filamenta exserta, 8 mm. longa, pilosa; srylus filamcntis aequilongus, pilosus. Type in the U. S. ::\ational Herbarium, No. 1, 266, 025, collected ar E nrre PROMOTING FORESTRY BY Ro\010 IN BRAZIL Rios, Guatemala, in 1926 by Henry Kuylen (No. 66; Yale No. 8897). The Radio Society of Rio de Janeiro is lending its support Of the Mexican and Central American species of Vitex the to the important forestry. program ~ndertaken by the one most closely resembling this is V. Hemsleyi Briq., of Brazilian Government and 1s broadcasting popular lectures which V. cap ulin Pittier is> apparently, a synonym. In V. on various phases of forestry. Some of the subje~ts. are as Hemsleyi the calyx lobes are erect and broadly triangular> follows: (1) The importance of forests. (2) The pr111c1plcs of the primary branches of the panicle are longer, and the cymes arboriculture. (3) The principles of silviculture. (4) Cut the parenchyma layers give rise to a dis­ it to a lumberman who became impressed at once with its tinct pattern on the tangential faces of lum bcr. Sharp, clean possibilities for the interior trim of homes. As a resuJt, two edges are readily obtained and the surface planes to a glossy installations were made in Berkeley, California,-the first as smoothness, except for the fine depressions of the vessel lines. flooring and the second as mill work, both in homes of moderate It nails well, although in thin tongue-and-groove flooring it is cost. advisable to pre-bore the nail holes in the tongues. T he flooring, which was square-edged, ~" x 1 ~", was In each of the Berkeley installations the wood is finished in used in the living room, dining room, and a vestibule. In the natural color, only filler, white shellac, and wax being used. second installation, Amapa was used for an ornamental man­ The effect is bright, but neat and dignified, harmonizing es­ tel and a heavy panelled front door and for the interior doors, pecially well with furnishings of a light color. The writer has baseboards, picture mouldings, and window and door trim of finished some specimens with mahogany and oak stains with living room, dining room, and large vestibule. T he interior good results, particuJarly with moderately dark oak stain. As doors were of the one-panel type, the panels being of plywood flooring, Amapa seems to be a good substitute for oak where a and the stiles and rails of built-up construction. lighter color and finer figure are desired. In each case the material, ready to lay in the case of the While the two installations described may not be the fore­ flooring and ready to install in the case of the miJlwork, was runners of wider applications of Amapa in the San Francisco furnished by a mill in Nogales, Arizona, which obtains the Bay region, they, nevertheless, call attention to a compara­ timber in the State of Nayarit on the west coast of Mexico. tively new wood which possesses certain characteristics of This concern operates a sawmill near San Blas and cuts the color and beauty that should offer architects the means for logs into" cants" or heavy squares, which are then carried by obtaining certain effects not possible in other woods. boats 127 miles up the coast to Mazatlan where they are loaded upon cars and shipped to Nogales. The plant at No­ Some !lex Woods without Spiral Elements gales reduces the cants to boards, and these, after seasoning, During the course of some investigations in the Yale tropi­ are worked into the finished products. cal wood laboratory last summer by Mr. David A. Kribs., of Amapa is said to be .well e~tablished in the s~uthwest for the University of Minnesota, wood specimens of three. species flooring and millwork, mcludmg doors,. sas~, tn~, and the of I/ex were found to be without spiral fiber-trache1~s. and like. The University Library at Tucson ts finished in Amapa, vessels, which hitherto were thought to be character1s.ttc of as are also several expensive homes in this and other Arizona the genus. (See CJ'ropical Woods 3: 14.) Thes~. specir~1ens cities. The two Berkeley installations previously mentioned are : Jlex M m·tiniana D. Don.," kakatara" of Britt~h ~UJan:i are probably the only ones at present in the San Francisco (Yale No. 9485; Field Museum No. 549?848); I; castqmarms~~ Bay region of California. Loes., "pa vier' blanc" of French Gu1.ana (1 ale No. 538!!: Amapa is a Mexican name for CJ'ecom~ penta_pbY.lla J u~s ­ Bertin No. 3029); I. pulogmsis, of Phil. Is. (Yale No. 2190, ( = Cfabebuia pentaphylla H emsl.), a tree widely d1stnbuted m Phil. B. F. No. 18,145). 10 TROPICAL WOODS No. 8 No. 8 TROPICAL WOODS I I THE "MANWOOD" OF PANAMA BRAZIL: No. 4013, "acaricuara," from the late Dr. J. Huber lower Amazon. ' "Manwood" is one of the locally well-known timbers of ~ccording to.Le Cointe,1 the tree is known in the Amazon the Bocas del T oro region of Panama, being noted for its region as "acanuba" or "acaricuara"1 and in French Guiana great durability. Dr. Alvin G. Cox, who in the summer of ~ "minc~uart" or." m! nquar." H e says the wood is absolutely i913 obtained the wood and leaves of the tree for the Yale mco~rupa~le and is without equal for posts either in dry or collections, says that he saw l\Ianwood house posts that had ~um1d regions, though, unfortunately the tree is of very been in place for two generations. irregular form. T eixeira da Fonseca2 s:ares that the "acari­ l\.1r. L. E. Wea,·er, Superintendent of Agriculture, Guate­ c~ara" .occurs in ~mazonas and Para, is a tree 20 to 50 feet mala Division, Cnited Fruit Company, was acquainted with ~1gh, "".1 th ~ very megular and deeply fluted trunk 25 .t..o 35 this timber while in Bocas del Toro and supplies the following inches m diameter. The wood is highly esteemed for heavy information: The tree grows on hills and rocky ground, has a a?d durab]~ construction, especially for house posts. It also thin bark and about an inch of white sapwood, while the yields an olive-colored dye. Other vernacular names are given heartwood is brown, flecked with white. The wood is straight­ as "acary, '' '' acary coara," '' acanquara,"· , " a. do igap6" grained, very heavy 1 will not float and consequen ti r is ex­ " a · da. ~arzea, " " acary u b a, " an d " acanuba."· ' (For detailed' pensive to get out and to handle, but it is very highly esteemed descript1on of the wood see 'l'imbers of 'l'ropical America, pp. in Panama for fence posts, railroad and tram ties, and other 150-i.) purposes requiring a strong and durable material. The wood was identified by the writer as Minquat·tia guianensis Aubl. of the family Olacaceae. This determination has recently been confirmed by Dr. Paul C. Standley, who THE WOOD OF SAURAUIA VJLLOSd DE CANDOLLE states (June 24, 1925) that the leaf specimens secured by D r. The numerous species of Saurauia are mountain plants­ Cox are "very close to Minquartia guianensis Au bl. and shrubs and small trees, or occasionally trees of medium size. perhaps identical with that species." So far as known, this ge­ The position of the genus is doubtful and, while usually nus has not previously been reported on the North American referred to the Dilleniaceae, its wood lacks the broad rays so Continent. characteristic of that family, and some botanists include it in The Yale collections contain a number of specimens of this the Theaceae (Ternstroemiaceae). wood which serve to indicate the range of the species. PANAMA: Saurauia oillosa DC. occurs in southern Mexico and Central Nos. 6744 and 6905, from Dr. Cox, interior of eastern Bocas America. A specimen (Yale No. 3692) 1 with sterile botanical del Toro, J uly 22 and Aug. 2, 1923; bole of tree 2.U feet in material identified by Dr. Paul C. Standley as probably this diameter and 40 feet to first limb; common names are" man­ species, was collected in r9I9 near El Lem6n, Honduras, by wood" {Eng.), "palo creollo" (Sp.), and "urodibe" (I ndian). Dr. H. N. Whitford. The tree, known locally as "zapotillo," CosTA RlcA: No. 6133, "palo de piedra," from Mr. H. T. was growing in red clay soil at an elevation of about 2000 Purdy, along southern coast. No. 7802, "manu," from Mr. C. feet above the sea. It was 70 feet high, with a round, narrow, H. Lankester, Ontario Farm, Reventaz6n, near sea level, Oct. and deep crown, and a regul~r bole 50 feet lo~g and !6 inches 1924; labeled, "One of the hardest timbers of the Atlantic in diameter, the bark on which was one-half mch thick, gray coast. Called 'platano' in Nicaragua." N1cARACUA: No. 7641, "manwood," Mr. F. H. Fischer, Kukra River (flowing 1 L& CoJNT£ PAuL: L'Amazonit Brlsiliennr, ll. Paris, 1922, p. t1. into the Bluefields Lagoon), March 5, 1925. DuTCH GuIANA : t TEIXEIRA ~A FONSECA, Eu RICO: lndicador at maJeiras t plan/OJ uttis Jo Brazil. Rio de Janeiro, 1922, PP· fr?. No.4 167," arata" or" konthout," from Forestry Department. ~o. 8 No. 8 J O TROPICAL \\'OODS TROPICAL WOODS JI BRAZIL: No. 4013, "acaricuara," from the late Dr.]. Huber, THE " l\1:\~-WOOD " OF PA:\A~IA lower Amazon. "Man wood" is one of the locally well-known timbers of According to Le Cointe,1 the tree is known in the Amazon the Bocas del T oro region of Panama, being noted fo r its region_ as "acariuba" or "acaricuara," and in French Guiana great d urability. Dr. Akin G. Cox, who in the summe~ of ~ "mmc~uart" or." m~nquar." He says the wood is absolutely 1923 obtained the wood and leaYcs of the tree for the ) ale mco~rupt1~le and 1s without equal for posts either in dry or collections, says that he saw \ [anwood house posts that had ~umtd regions, th_ou~h, unf~rtunately, the tree is of very been in place for two generations. irregular form. Teixeira da I·onseca2 states that the "acari­ 'l\Ir. L. E. Wca,·er, Superintendent of Agriculture, Guate­ cuara" occurs in Amazonas and Para is a tree 20 to 50 feet mala Division, United Fruit Company, was acquainted with ~igh, "'.ith ~ very irregular and deep!;· fluted trunk 25 .t.o 35 this timber while in Bocas del T oro and supplies the following inches m diameter. The wood is highly esteemed for heavy information: The tree grows on hills and rocky ground, has a a~d durabl~ construction, especially for house posts. It also yields an olive-colored dye. Other vernacular names are given thin bark and about an inch of white sapwood, while the u nu uu •, ,., • heartwood is brown, Aecked with white. The wood is straight­ as acary, acary coara, acanquara, 'a. do 1gap6" "d "" b" d" "'b ·' grained, Ycry heavy, will not float and consequently is ex­ a. .a ~arzea, acary u a, an acartu a." (For detailed pensive to get out and to handle, but it is very highly esteemed description of the wood see 'J'imbers of Cf'ropical America, pp. in Panama for fence posts, railroad and tram ties, and other 150-i.) purposes requiring a strong and durable material. The wood was identified by the writer as Nfinq 1ul1·1ia guianensis Aubl. of the family Olacaceae. This determination THE WOOD OF SAURAUIA VJLLOSA DE CANDOLLE has recently been confirmed b) Dr. Paul C. Standley, who The numerous species of Saurauia are mountain plants­ states (June 24, 19'.J.i;) that the leaf specimens secured by Dr. Cox arc "very close to Afinquartia guianensis :\ubl. a nd shrubs and small trees, or occasionallr trees of medium size. The position of the genus is doubtful and, while usually perhaps identical with that species." So far as known, this ge­ nus has not previouslr been reported on the ":\'orth :\merican referred to the Dilleniaceae, its wood lacks the broad ravs so characteristic of that family, and some botanists include.it in Continent. the Theaceae (Ternstroemiaceae). The Yale collections contain a number of specimens of this Saurauia uillosa DC. occurs in southern !\lexico and Central wood which serve to indicate the range of the species. PA~ '\MA: America. A specimen (Yale No. 3692), with sterile botanical Nos. 6744 anmaple (Acer) on radial surface, petioles ~ inch long. The small yellow-green flowers are where they appear considerably darker than the background . borne in axillary clusters much shorter than the leaves. The Ripple marks: Absent. fruit, which is generally solitary, is a drupe about .~1 inch Gum ducts: None observed. long, with thin black flesh and a thin-walled pit. . Minute anatom;•: Pores 0.083 mm. too. r 16 mm. (av. 0.088 The species is one of the comm?nest of th~ s1?'1all trees in mm.) in diameter. Vessel perforations scalariform, with many certain portions of southern Florida,. where 1t 1s known as narrow bars; intervascular pits small, screw-head type; pro­ "black ironwood." It also occurs m coastal scrublands, jecting tips of vessel segments spiral, suggesting H amameli- thickets woodlands, and hillsides at lower elevations, gen­ daceae. Rays decidedly heterogeneous, the procumbent cells erally i~ dry districts, throughout the \Vest lndies. from. ~he Bahamas to St. Vincent. The existence of the tree in Br1t1sh very small; r to 5 cells wide and few to 100 cells high (o. 1 5 to TROPICAL WOODS No. 8 No. 8 TROPICAL WOODS Honduras was determined by Dr. Paul C. Standley from 15 botanical material collected by the writer near Honey Camp Pores: Very ~m~ll, faintly visible without lens, fairly Lagoon, Orange \'Valk District, Jan. 3r, r926. The tree, numerous, well d1str1buted, occurring singly or in short radial notorious on account of the hardness of its wood, is known as groups. "axemaster." l/e.rsel lines: Very fine and indistinct. The wood is the densest known. Sp. gr. tests made by the Vnul contents: Gum deposits abundant. writer on two thoroughly air-dry specimens, one from eastern Rays: Very fine, not visible without lens on cross and Cuba and the other from British Honduras, afforded the same tangential sections, fine and inconspicuous on radial. result in each case, namely, 1.42, which is equivalent to nearly Ripple marks: Absent. 89 pounds per cubic foot. The densest wood previously tested Gum ducts: Absent. in t he Yale laboratories was letterwood, (air-dry) J .365. Tests .Minute anatomy: Vessels with simple perforations; pits made on the woods of the United States for the Tenth Census minute, crowded. Rays one or two cells wide few to 20 or more cells high; decidedly heterogeneous, of the cells report gave a specific gravity (oven-dry) of I .302; weight ma~y 81. 14 lbs. per cu. ft. T he determinations for two air-dry speci­ square; rhombohedral crystals very common in square cells; gum deposits abundant; pits into vessels resemble the inter­ mens were i.3546 and 1.343, respecti vely. In the tests of the vascular f:>its. Wood pa'.enchyma sparingly developed about various species black ironwood ranked first out of 429 in sp. vessels. Fibers small, with very thick walls and minute cavi­ gr.; first out of 430 in fuel value; 45th out of 310 in elasticity; ties; pits indistinct, simple. 90th out of 310 in bending strength ; fifth out of 317 in end Material: Yale Nos. 7414, 8813* (Brit. Honduras); 9129* crushing; and third out of 314 in hardness as measured by (Cuba). Asterisk indicates botanical material. resistance to indentation.

COMMON NAMES THE WOOD OF KOEBERLINL1. SPINOSA ZUCCARINI Black ironwood (So. Florida); carey de costa (No. Cama­ This species, the only one of the genus and the sole repre­ giiey), palo diablo (Oriente), coronel (Pinar del Rio), acero sentative of the family Koeberliniaceae, is a shrub or tree, (P en. c;le Zapata) (Cuba); palo de nierro, bariaco, espejuelo, sometimes 25 feet high, with a short trunk rarely a foot in bl~c k 1ronwood, ebony wood (Porto Rico and Virgin Is.); diameter. The small branches and twigs are short, stiff, green, bo1s de fer (Guadeloupe); axemaster, quebracho (Brit. Hond.); and spine-tipped, and the minute, scale-like leaves are so iron berry. early deciduous that the plant is commonly thought to be entirely leafless. The small, greenish flowers are borne in D ESCRIPT ION OF THE WOOD short racemes and the fruit is a small berry. The bark is thin General properties: Orange-brown to dark brown, often and flaky, in 'color and general _appea~ance suggesting ?1ul­ more or less streaked; appears waxy. Sapwood pale yellow, berry (Morus). The inner bark is lamm~ted and, especially sharply defi ned. on the older portions of the stem, c~ntams several !aye.rs of Odor and taste absent or not distinctive. flattened resin ducts which, upon being cut, exude a sttcky, Excessively dense, horn-like, very fine-textured , fairly reddish brown resin; the sieve plates are scalariform. straight-grained, very hard to cut, fairl y easy to split, finishes The species occurs in Mexi~o from n?rtheastern Sonora to smoothly, appears durable. Tamaulipas and Hidalgo, and m the Umted Stat~s from west­ Growth r·ings: Absent or poorl y defin ed in some specimens, ern Texas to southern Arizona, and often forms impenetrable fairly distinct in others, due mostly to color variations. thickets over large a~~as. I~ is k~own ge~.erally in Mex~co ~ Parenchyma: Invisible. "junco" or K'juanco, and in Anzona as corona de Cnsto. 16 TROPICAL WOODS No. 8 No. 8 TROPICAL WOODS 17 There are at present no special uses for the wood, though investigations are being made of its resin content. The heart­ distinct in all vessels of a branch, but absent in large vessels wood burns very readily, with a spluttering flame, and gives and indistinct in smaller ones in wood of trunk; pits nearly round, sc~ew-head type, alternate; tyloses absent; gum off a sooty smoke of a disagreeable odor. (See P. C. STAN DLEY: abundant in heartwood. Rays homogeneous; cell walls densely chewing gum that jelutong might be grown in plantations in belonging to different genera ha\'C been given th~ same trade the same way as rubber, and terms fo r the grant ofland for the name, with the exception of the Burmese s,rec1es P_en~ac'!1e purpose. were drawn u.p and approved by the G overnm~nt._'' suavis and Sborea obtusa whose timbers are \'lrtually md1stm­ fhe agn~ultural chemist reports that sodium silico-fluonde is guishable and by local usage considered equally useful. Closely an eff~ct1~e coagulant and preservative for jelutong sap, and similar timbers belonging to the same genus _have been that dilution of the sap with water makes it more difficult to grouped under the same trade name where. the.re 1s not .suffi­ coagulate. cient industrial difference in their use to JUSt1fy allottin~ a '! arious kinds ?f tests, mostly of a practical nature, are separate name to each species." The list includes 1.46 species bemg made on different woods. "Nyatoh," Palaquium and and groups of species. Payena spp. (Sapotaceae), and "mersawa," Anisoptera spp. TROPICAL WOODS No. 8 No. 8 TROPICAL WOODS Hardwood problems in India. By W. A. ROBERTSON. Empire 27 Forestry Journal 5: 1: 73-n, 1926. lems in Indi~ li~s in t~e 1~rompt c?n\'ersion of the logs, fol­ " In Burma until quite recently it was customary to lump lowed by artificial drying m seasonmg kilns." all timbers other than teak into a class rather contemptuously Report on forest administration in Burma for the year ending called 'junglewoods.' During the war in Mesopotamia, intel­ 31st March 1925. By II. W. 1\. WATso:-:. Rangoon, 1926. ligent interest, it is said, exhibited itself by the creation of a Pp. 213; 631 x 10; 16 plates. fu rther class, 'redwood,' which has not been satisfactorily identified, nor is likely to be, seeing that at least twenty In regard to forest regeneration, "the general policy is to confine planting to areas from \\hich the existing crop can be species yield redwoods; but these dull days seem to be slowly ~xtracted ~eforehand and to carry out aftcr extraction plant­ passing, and the results of the last few years' investigations mg operations regulated by carefully prepared plans which point to there being a real definite use for practically every endeavor to utilize the soil to the best advantage and to avoid species, so that we can go a stage further and divide our waste of energy on attempts to stock soils of doubtful pro­ timbers roughly into 'luxury,' 'general utility,' and 'match ductivity. Our natural forests arc generally so poorly stocked woods.' From now onwards the problem lies not so much in that if following extraction we restock the better soils arti­ finding a use fo r any particular species, but in arranging to ficially, leaving the aftcrgrowth on the poorer soils to recover make it available in the quantities which modern industry naturally, we shall not only have replaced the capital removed, demands." but also have substantially improved the outlook for the "The only conclusions one can draw at present seem to future." show that the main solution of the hardwood problem lies "It is easier and distinctly cheaper in the mixed forests of chiefly in the development of permanent continuous lines of Burma to bring a crop of useful species on to the ground by all-the-year-rou nd communications between the forests and artificial than by natural means and at best the natural crop the main arteries of traffic, which development will ob­ looks ragged and uneven compared with the artificially cre­ viously have to be done by Government, while exploitation ated crop. Yet ... the artificially created crop is exposed will have to be backed by organizations which have capital to dangers of which we do not yet know the full extent, not at their disposal less expensive than local capital." only from animals, insects, and fungi, but probably also from soil deterioration .... \\"e must undoubtedly pay more Kiln seasoning of Indian timbers. Project No. vn. By attention to the natural regeneration of our mixed fo~ests." ST\SLEY FrrzcERALD and S. N . KAPUR. Pub. by Economic Climber-cutting was undertaken on 84.• 898 acres, felhn~ of Ficus-bound trees on 5,489 acres, and improvement felhngs Branch, Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun, 1926. Pp. 30; 7 x 9}(; 8 plates. proper on 2. 1 ,638 acres. . ... "We know comparatively little about th_e poss1b1ht1es of ... A manua~ of the methods of kiln-drying Indian timbers. most of our timbers other than teak, and sull less a.bout t~e fhe quest1~n of the proper seasoning of timber in India has possibilities of minor products of the forest .... Ec~no11_11c been occupymg the attention of the Economic Branch for research has for its object to make good these d.efic1enc1es many years, as it was realized from the very start that the and to place the knowledge ~cquired at th~ service of the seasoning problem was at t he root of all our difficulties in trade." A start has been made m the assembling ~nd a~ra~e­ trying to place little-known and little-used timbers on the ment of type specimens of the woods, and various t1m rs market . ... ~!though air-seasoning may be accepted as ~he were sent to the Forest Research 1nstitutc, Dehra Dun, for standard practice, the fact remains that the most effective testing. Kiln-drying experiments ha\'e not proved very and ultimate solution of many of the timber seasoning prob- TROPICAL WOODS No. 8 No. 8 TROPICAL WOODS 29 satisfactory. "The general experience of the year leads to the conviction that the water-spray type of kiln is not suited to Progress report of forest administration in the Province of Assam for the year 1924-25. By F. TRAFFORD. Shillong, the conditions, climatic and otherwise, of Burma." Air­ 1925. Pp. 18 + 51; 8 x 13. Price 2s. seasoning experiments promise interesting results. Several timbers of little commercial value are being tried for railway "The figures for 1924-25 indicate that the revenue from crossties after antiseptic treatment. Twenty-one different forests has continued to increase at an even more rapid rate than before. . . . This expansion is due to the efforts of the species of timber have been used in the workshops. Small Conservator and his ?ffice:s to accelerate the exploitation of stocks of various timbers are held in storage to enable en­ the forest, more especially m the Goalpara Division by means quirers to get bulk samples to try out. of th.e new tramway·. . ·.. The province has gained much from Reports on certain forest areas of Tavoy and Mergui the increased explo1tat1on of mature timber which if left in the forests, would in course of time die and rot.. '.. The Districts inspected from the ground as a preliminary to policy of the Government is to carry exploitation to the ut­ the aerial stockmapping of these districts. By C. W. Scorr most possible limit without depreciating the capital value and C. R. Roenrns. Burma Forest Bulletin No. 14,Silvicul­ of the forests .... The area of unclassed State forests and tural series No. l O. R angoon, Nov. 1925. Pp. 42; 6 x 9,U; the quantity of timber standing in them is rapidly decreasing map. owing to the opening out of the province. Consequently it is Descriptions of the forests by types, together with notes on necessary to ensure that the Reserves contain a sufficient the commercial possibilities. Appendix I contains a list of the amount of hardwood timber likely to mature within the next vernacular and scientific names of the plants mentioned in fifty or sixty years .... In Assam it is not only necessary to the report. Appendix TI includes interesting information as to preserve a supply of timber sufficient for existing needs. t~e abundance and importance of the principal Mergui It is necessary also to provide for the future increase of timbers. population as well as for demands lik~ly .to arise for. sleepers owing to the extension of railways w1thm the pr?vmce and Report on aerial reconnaissance, stock.mapping and pho­ in India generally ."-From Government resolution on the tography of the forests of the Tavoy and Mergui Districts report. South Tenasserim Forest Division) January to April 1925. B} C. \\'. Scorr and C. R. R oB BI NS. Burma Forest The Bombay forests. By\\'. E. CoPLEsi:o:-;. Bombay, 1925. Pp. ; ~ x ~; 28 half-tone figs. Price 1 rupee. Bulletin :'.\o. 13, misc. series no. 2. Rangoon, Feb. 1926. 57 7 9 Pp. 76; 8 x 13; 3 maps; 4 plates. Price 3s. An interesting and attractive booklet iss~cd by the Govern­ ment of Bombay "in order that the public may understand !he area concerned is some 15,ocx> square miles in extent, the aims and purposes of the Fores~ Dcpar~.ment and may bemg about 350 miles long and about 40 miles wide. Approxi­ thus be induced to lend a sympathetic hand. mately 85 per cent of this is under forest of one kind or an­ other, and the object of the operations was to produce a administration in the Annual progress report on f oreSt E o s~ockmap of these forests, distinguishing as many of the 1 2 25 Presidency of Bengal for the year 9 4 • By ·· · different forest types as possible a nd indicating their bounda­ SHEBBEARE. Calcutta, 1925. Pp. 41; 8 x 13· . . ries. Reconnaissance sketching from the air was found more .. In an eight-year-old teak plantati~n at Kapta1 (C.h1tta­ satisfactorr than photography for the particular conditions on Hill Tracts), the average annual .girth of the tre~s tn th~ o~ the region and the observer was able to distinguish thirteen gh' g d I d d that in the unthmned plot by 4 inches. different forest types and to locate their boundaries accurately t mne p ot excee e on previously prepared inch-to-the-mile maps. TROPICAL WOODS No. 8 30 No. 8 TROPlCAL WOODS 31 " The forest economist's report that < chilauni ' [Schima for hickory sticks in cotton and jute weav­ W allicbii Choisy] after kiln seasoning is a sound constructional ~ubs ti t utes pi ck~ng ing looms, large scale expcnments with those woods are being timber wi th few defects opens up the possibility of disposing arranged for." of this ,·ery plentiful, but hitherto useless, tree. The superin­ tendent of the Calcutta Research Tannery reports that the Forestry programme of the Commonwealth Government. acorns of' sungre katus' [~uercus pachypbylla Kurz] produce a By C. E. LAN£-~OOLE. Victoria, Australia, 1925. Pp. 7; good tanstuff which could be used for the same purposes as 8 x 13; I map. Pnce 6d. Turkish \•alonia in heavy leather tannage." A report dealing with afforestation projects at Capital Terri­ tory and Jervis Bay. It is recommended that the proposed Forest administration report of the Bombay Presidency, Australian Forestry School be located at Canberra. including Sind, for the year 1924-25. By A. G. Eorn. Bombay, 1926. P p. 223; 6 x 9}/z. Price 7s. 9d. Report on the forests of Norfolk Island. By C. E. LANE­ "The operation of early burning to ensure the protection of PooLE. Victoria, Australia, 1926. Pp. 35; 8 x i3; 16 half­ the forests against destructive fires later on may be considered tone plates; 3 graphs; I map. to be still in an experimental stage in the greater part of our Norfolk Island, situated 930 miles from Sydney and 400 forests. The conclusions so far arrived at are favorable. In the miles from New Zealand, is five miles long and three miles East Khandesh Division experiments for fin di ng an economi­ wide, or about 8000 acres in extent. It was a convict settle­ cal and practical method of protecting teak seedlings have in­ ment from 1788 to 1855, later occupied by inhabitants of dicated the placing of s tones round the seedlings as the best Pitcairn Island. The present population is 726. method. This method has also been tried in T hana against "The island was originally covered all over with a dense rats with success. The experiments in progress for discovering subt·opical rain forest with the pine (Araucaria excelsa) dom­ the best height for coppicing 'anjan' [Hardwickia binata inating the other trees by one hundred feet .... ~he whole island except the two mountains and the land running down Roxb.] have indicated that the greater the height, within from ;hem to the north coast, has at one time or another been reason, the more profuse and vigorous is t he resulting cop­ cleared and put under crops and grass .... It is only on pice." Mount Pitt that the jungle has come back; everywhe:e else, Tractors and trailers proved satisfactory for hauling except in deep gorges ... the stock have been. ~uffic1ent to crossties and logs. " There is no doubt that mechanical trans­ maintain, with the help of man, the grass conditions. W~od port can be successfully developed, the main difficulty being land has been defeated by grass land and, thanks to man, pine to secure suitable establishment in unhealthy forest districts. alone has triumphed, but it h~ grown as a park tre~.and has Work was continued in the Nagzari valley with a Fordson lost its forest habit of growth m these pasturelands. tractor fitted wi th a H uston skidding winch.... Logs up to 3 tons weight were hauled up slopes of as much as 50° and The principal tanning materials of Australiai and their from a range of 1,700 ft. This year a bullock power winch was leather forming properties. By M. B. WELCH and F. A. set up in addition. T hough more limited in scope than the CooMBS. Bui. No. 1o, Technologic.al Museum, Sydney, other outfit, it has proved its great usefulness already." 1926. Pp. 20; 5 ~ x 8~; 7 plates ..Pnce 6d. Special efforts are being made to develop the match indus­ This bulletin deals principally wtth those ~arks or sub- t • g purposes points out some tr>, utilizing such soft-wooded species as "bahan" (P opulus stances of proved wort h ror tannin ' b b · d m· • • of each and the results to e o tame . euphratica Oliv.) and " lod" (Symplocos Beddomei Clarke). o f t h e pecm1anbes > "Several local woods having been found to be satisfactory 32 TROPICAL WOODS No. 8 No. 8 TROPICAL WOODS Australian vegetable tannages are built upon a foundation 33 of wattle bark, the principal supplies being obtained from "F~r uses .~here strength, hardness, or durability are Acacia pycnantha Benth . and A. mollissima Willd. Next in essential qualities t~e woods of several of thjs genus [Eu­ importance are the barks of cert ain species. of Ca l~itris, or c~lyptus] have few (if any) equals. In this country eucalypt "cypress pines." Mangrove barks ~re obtainable in l a~ge tu;ibers are usu~lly associated with such works as wharf and quantities throug hout the nort hern tidal waters from Rhizo­ bridge coi:struct~on, telephone and electric-transmission poles, phora, Ceriops, and Bruguiera, but the leather of mangrove wood-paving, ra1lway-sleepers, and vehicle-construction, and rannage has an objectionable red color. Almost all of the farm_ers generally regard eucalypts as a source from which to obtain supply durable fencing-timber. In Australia and eucalypts produce kino, usualJy in the wood, m ore rarely in ~ ~f Tasmania these ambers are applied to all the aforementioned the bark, and as a tanning agent t his kino appears to be purposes, and in adclition many of the softer kinds are used superior to other known tanning ma terials obtained from the for buildi.ng-con~truction and furniture .... Fortunately, eucal ypts. Although sulphited kino is inferior to su~phited the planting which has been done during the past forcy quebracho, owing to its high percentage of non-tans, 1t may years affords us much valuable information in this respect, be a ble to replace a large amount of the sulphi ted quebracho and at Rotorua and elsewhere the State Forest Service has now used in Australia. experimented with over seventy species. "From the results of such experimental work and by the The tannins of the black cypress pine (Callitris calcarata observation of the efforts of private planters it is possible to R. Br.) and their distribution in the bark. By F. A. offer fairly accurate information to intencling growers. It COOMBS \V. McGLnrn, and M . B . W ELCH. R eprint, should always be borne in mind that a knowledge of the Journ. &Pr oc. Royal Soc. N. S. W . 59 : 356-382, April 1926. climatic conditions of a district is of much more importance Four photomicrographs. than information regarding the soil, because failures with T he black cypress pine yields an important tannin-bearing the eucalypts are more often due to an adverse cli~~te than bark available in large quantities, but a satisfactory extrac­ to unsuitable soil. The moisture content of the s01l 1s, how­ tion on a commercial scale has proved to be difficult, a con­ ever, an important consideration, as all t_he species. mak_e large demands upon the soil-moisture, while some will fail siderable amount of the tannin being destroyed. Methods for utterly unless they are able to g~t plenty ~f moi~ture. All obviating this trouble, through the use of finely ground species are more or less susceptible to saline winds, and material, are outlined. seldom make satisfactory growth near the sea-~oast un~ess " Analyses made on bark samples from d ifferent.sized tre~s sheltered from winds directly off the sea. If a wise selection seem to show that the maximum tannin content 1s found in of species is made by planters the gr~wing ?f eucalypts sho~ld small, well-grown trees. T here is practically no variati<:>n in prove a profitable business. S~ec1es su.ttable for electnc­ the tannin content of the bark removed at different heights transrnission poles and construction of railway an~ tramway on the tree, in this respect differing considera bl y from cars and ordinary vehicles will in the comparatively near wattle. Although analyses of individual barks have shown up future find a ready and profitable market. . . to almost 37 per cent tannin, the figure obtained from C?~: "An attempt has been made hereunder to dass1fY spe:ies mercial samples is in the vicinity of zo-25 per cent tannin. according to their relative merits. Al_l .are now growing successfully in various parts of the Dominion.. . . Eucalypts in New Zealand. By H . A. GouoIE. Circ. No. zo, "(r) Durable timbers suitable for elecmc-transm1ss1on N. Z. State Forest Service, Wellington, 1925. Pp. I4; 6 x poles or for sawing into planks and applying to uses where 9 7'; pls. 3. 34 TROPICAL WOODS No. 8 No. 8 TROPICAL WOODS strength and durability are essential qualities: E. pilulariJ 35 (Kew South Wales), black-butt; E. saligna (New South collections of the Yale School of Forestry (N0 2 6 ) I . Wales), fl ooded gum; (Victoria and New specimen obtained from the Museum of E • . 5~~ · t is a E. M uelleriana S d d. I b I d" conom1c rorestrv South Wales), yeUow stringy-bark; E. eugenioides (New y ney, an is a e e Mountain ash or gum-t0 d . . ' bark. EucalyptuJ gigantea Hook " It is dist' PP~ stringy- South Wales and Queensland), white stringy-bark; E. · J th · met1 Y rmg-porous Gunnii (Tasmania) , cider-gum. and apparent y e pore bands occupy the late wood! "(2) Durable timbers valuable for fencing and like pur­ poses, but of inferior quality for saw-bench: E. Macartburi, The identification of the principal ironbarks a.nd allied woods. By M. B. WELCH. Reprint ~ourn •:? p R I E. viminalis, E. botryoides, E. ovata. It is possible that these s N s w 'J' ·\.!I roe. oya oc. · · · 59: 329-345, April 1926. Four photomicro­ species may be useful as poles, but the tendency of the timber graphs, 4 text figures. to crack radially is a d rawback. This disadvantage may yet be overcome by proper seasoning methods. About 20 species of Eucalyptus belong to the class com­ monly known as "ironbarks" because of their hard rough "(3) Softer timbers, not possessing great durability when deeply bark. Those most valued for their in contact with the ground, bu t valuable for milling and for fu~r?wed ~trength :1nd dura~1ltty are E. paniculata Sm.(" grey iron bark,"" white general construction purposes: E. f astigata, E. gigantea, 1ron.ba~k ), !i· c1·ebra f.· v. M. ("na~row-leaved ironbark"), E. obliqua, E. regnans." E. stde1opblota Ben th. ( broad-leaved 1ronbark "), E. Sideroxy­ lon A. Cunn. ("red-flowering iron bark" or "mugga "). Note on the structure of some Eucalyptus woods. By M. B. Frequently confused with these are the woods of two WELCH. Reprint, Journ. & P roc. R oyal Soc. N. S. W. 58: smooth-barked trees known as "grey gum," E. punctata DC. 16~176, Oct. 192+ and E. propinqua D. & M. This publication deals with the This pll:per is concerned with the identifica tion of the woods anat?mical and other features useful in identifying the six of Eucalyptus pilularis Sm. (" blackbutt " ) , E. microcorys F. species. v. M. ("tallow-wood"), and E . maculata H ook. ("spotted gum"). These woods range in color from almost white to The air-seasoning and kiln-drying of timber. By A. R. light brown, are rather fine-textured, and weigh 50 to 60 lbs. ENTRICAN. Circ. No. 21, N. Z. State Forest Service, Well­ per cu. ft. Though typically d istinct, t hey may exhibit suffi­ ington, 1926. Pp. 20; 6 x 9~; 3 figs. cient similarity as to make the determination o f small samples "It is the object of this circular to indicate to manufacturers a difficult task by ordinary methods. The principal diagnostic and wood-users how seasoning defects may be minimized." features are summarized as follows: "With the ever-increasing scarcity of seasoned wood greater attention should be directed towards the improvement of E. microcorys E. maculata E. pilularis drying practices. The prevalent use of green timbe~ i.s oppos~d Pore rows oblique. Pore rows radial. Pore rows oblique. Parenchyma in Parenchyma abundant, Parenchyma rare, not io to the best interests of the community, and recogn1t1on of this metatracheal bands. in metatracheal bands. metatracheal bands. danger by wood-users is reflected in the growi~g tend~ncy to Rays uniseriate, usually Rays multiseriate, Rays uniseriate, usually look abroad for supplies of seasoned wood. If this trend 1~ to be heterogeneous. homogeneous. homogeneous. arrested the timber industry must take. concer~ed action .to Oil globules numerous. Oil globules few. Oil globules very few. render to the communitv an efficient drywg service. The wise Marked reaction with Little reaction with Marked reaction with use of dry ki Ins both by ;awmillers and wood-users wil~ relieve iron salts. iron salts. iron salts. the situation to a material extent. To the Forest Service they . "In common with all other E u cal ypts, these woods are are of fundamental importance. By their aid new uses will be diffuse-porous." An exception to this sta tement exists in the TROPICAL \\'OODS ~o. 8 de,•eloped for timbers hitherto left in the forests owing to the difficulty of seasoning the wood under natural conditions."

A description of a new species of Eucalyptus from southern New South Wales. By \Y. A. \\'. DE BEt;ZEVILLE and :\1. B. \\'ELCH. Reprint, Journ. & Proc. Royal Soc. N. S. W. 58 : 177-181, '.\°o\·. 1924. Two plates. T he species described, Eucalyptus Badjensis, is a large forest tree locall } known as "gully ash." It is closest in ex­ ternal morphology to E . uiminalis Labill. The description is unusual in that it contains the anatomical details of the leaves, bark, and wood . The timber is pale reddish in color, with small black fu ngous stains which retard its use; it is of moderate weight and is considered suitable for building pur­ poses, although its durability is not known; it must be sea­ soned carefully to prevent cell collapse and" wash-boarding."

Annual report on the forest administration of Nigeria for the year 1924. By H. N. THOMPSON. Lagos, 1925. Pp. 2c;;8x 13. One of the interesting items in this report indicates that measures for the protection of man from sleeping sickness arc accompanied by an increased fire hazard to the open forests in the eastern provinces. "Attention is drawn co the great damage done to the open Savannah Forests each year by the fierce forest fires that pass through them in the dry season. To quote from the Senior Conservator of Forests' report: 'The drying up of streams, the denudation of hillsides and the gratlual desiccation of the countrv are all direct results of these fires.' The damage done by the fires can be reduced to a lar~e extent by resorting to the practice of &ring the grass early 1~ the drr season, but the whole question is somewhat compli­ cated by the fact that recent experiments conducted with a view to exterminating tsetse fl ies in t he Savannah forests o( Africa indicate that one of the most successful measures tried for attaining that end consists in the deliberate burn~ng as late as possible in the dry season of the belts of vegetation that form their breeding haunts."